DBZ: Unlikely Romance
by Eric Jacobson
Summary: YES! CHAPTER 8 IS FINALLY HERE! Sorry about the wait, it's been a long, strange trip. Anyway, please RR, and as always, please enjoy ,
1. First Steps

Untitled Document Dragon Ball Z: Unlikely Romance  
A Dragon Bball Z FanFic By Eric Jacobson  
Chapter One -- First Steps  
[Story Home Site][1] [Eric's Writer's Lounge][2]

Disclaimer: I don't own any rights to DBZ. But I do wish I had bought stockin FUNimation before DBZ hit the mainstream....

The Prince of Saiyans sat alone at the top of the hill overlooking the Capsule Corp. compound. He stared at the stars above him, his thoughts on the events which brought him here.

It had been almost a year since the ordeal on Namek. He had died at the hands of Freiza, and brought back to life by the same Eternal Dragon he sought to grant him immortality. He thought of his arrival on earth with his bodyguard and partner, Nappa. How he battled Kakkarot and lost. So much had happened to him in that time...

And now he was here, on a planet full of weak humans. How had he, the Proud Prince Of The Saiyans, ended up on such a worthless hunk of rock?

He thought back to the words of his father. He knew he would someday become a Super Saiyan, come hell or high water. But Kakkarot had already beaten him to it.

What was left?

The androids were coming. That was certain. That lavender-haired kid had told them some months ago, the day Kakkarot came back from wherever he was. His thoughts turned to the kid again. He had gone Super Saiyan right before his eyes, yet he knew that he and Kakkarot were the only Saiyans left in the universe. Kakkarot's brat was half Saiyan, but other than that, they were all that remained of his once mighty race. 

Lost in his thoughts, Vegeta fell asleep on the hill. That night, he dreamed that he had finally acheived his goal...

Bulma spent the morning in the kitchen, making herself some eggs and bacon. The night before, she was down in her laboratory, fixing the training drones Vegeta had demolished. Again. How many more times would she have to fix things for that brute?

Dr. Breif walked into the kitchen. "Morning, Bulma! Late night again?"

"Yes, Dad. I swear, if Vegeta keeps trashing those drones, I'll never have time to work on anything else."

"He he. Don't sweat it, Bulma. It's for a good cause in the end, if the androids even show up, that is." Dr. Brief rummaged through the fridge and pulled out some ham to make himself a sandwhich. "Speaking of Vegeta, where is he? He went out last night and didn't come back."

"I have no clue, dad. And frankly, I really don't care..." Before she could finish her sentance, Vegeta came in through the door.

"What are you two staring at?" he bellowed after a moment, when he noticed the two humans staring at him. "Humph."

"Hello to you, too, grumpy..." Bulma said half under her breath.

"What?!? What did you just call me?"

"Oh get over yourself, Vegeta. The least you could do is learn how to say hello like a normal person. At least Goku has that kind of decency in him."

"Fine. Hello. Now out of my way, I'm starving." With that, Vegeta made his way to the refridgerator.

"Well," said Dr. Brief after an awkward silence, "I've got to get to the lab and get to work on a few things. Talk to ya later." He looked at Vegeta, still hunched over in front of the fridge, and made his way out the door.

Bulma watched her father walk out the door, and sighed. 'How could he leave me here with this cocky lug?' she thought. She looked over at Vegeta, who had found what he wanted and seated himself at the table. She stood in silence, looking over the warrior who a few years before had been a threat to her very existance. Back then, she feared him like any other rival Goku and the others faced. But now, she saw him differently. It wasn't so much fear as it was annoyance. His cocky, self serving attitude and cold, mocking tone of voice. He was a big, whiney kid to her now.

Vegeta snapped his head up and looked at her with his usual cold stare. "Is something wrong, woman?"

Bulma caught herself. She had been staring at him the whole time, and didn't realize it as she lost herself in her thoughts. "What does it matter to you, you moron? You're sitting there, eating us out of house and home, and with what thanks? None, that's what. You know, Vegeta, if it wasn't for us, you wouldn't have a place to stay and train, chasing after your silly, arrogant dream of becoming like Goku..."

Vegeta stood up abruptly and turned to Bulma in anger. "Listen to me, woman. I am the Prince of Saiyans. I'm stronger than Kakkarot, and I'll prove it to all of you soon. So just leave me be!"

"Whatever, your royal pain-in-the-ass. You're obviously a prince. Only royalty would have an attitude problem like yours. And as far as Goku is concerned, if it wasn't for him, you wouldn't even be here right now to chase your ambitions. So LAY OFF ME, YOU STUPID JERK!!!" Bulma turned and stormed out of the room.   
  
"Humph. Stupid woman." He returned to his meal, but his thoughts began to lean towards her. She didn't fear him any longer. She actually stood up to HIM! Why? He couldn't understand it. All these humans SHOULD fear him! But this one, she didn't anymore. And he let out a little grin. He liked her attitude. There was something about her that was... almost... Saiyan...

Bulma and her father had moved the Gravitational Trainer into the room accross the hall from her lab some months ago. Vegeta kept blowing it up, and it would cause a scene with the locals. This didn't make Bulma very happy, since he kept blowing it up there, too. And today was no different.

The explosion knocked Bulma out of her chair, and scattered her tools all over the floor of the lab. She picked herself up and dusted herself off. 'Jerk' she thought. As she bent over to pick up her tools, Vegeta stormed into the room.

"Get over there and fix that blasted thing, woman. How can I possibly make myself stronger if your machines can't handle what I'm doing?" He was being as cold and matter-of-factual as usual.

"What do I look like, Vegeta? Your personal pit crew? I'll fix it when I'm done with these other drones you so graciously obliterated yesterday."

"How dare you speak to me in that tone of voice, woman? Have you forgotten so soon who I am and what I could do to you if I..."

"IF YOU WHAT? Think about it, Mr. Princey Pants. If you didn't have me around to keep fixing that thing every time you send it to the scrap heap, you'ld never get stronger than Goku, though I doubt you ever could be. So you can just sit and wait for me to finish! Now get out of here before I really get mad!"

Vegeta was stunned. The look on his face was of total shock.

"Are you deaf? I said GET OUT OF HERE!"

Vegeta stood for a few more seconds, staring at the human female before him. Her face was beet red with anger. For a moment, he almost was afraid. Almost. He managed to compose himself and turned to leave.

"Vegeta..."

He stopped in his tracks, halfway out the door.

"Vegeta, I'm sorry. I've been frustrated lately. I know you're training so you can help the others beat those androids that are supposed to be coming. It's just that I've been working really hard to try to keep everything together, and I'm afraid that it just won't be enough. With you overloading the GT every other week, and all the other work I have to do, I've been stressed out. I'm sorry I got cross with you."

Vegeta stood, his back still to her. As he listened to the words she spoke, something inside him began to relax him. But how? Nothing made him relax. He was always high strung, it was part of what made him the warrior he was. But hearing the tone in her voice, hearing how despaired she must be. 

"I'm... ss... ss.. sorry, Bulma..." With that, Vegeta left the lab and closed the door behind him.

Bulma herself was in shock. Vegeta, just said he was, sorry? She couldn't understand it. He'd never appologized for anything before. Not to mention he had never called her by her first name before. He had always referred to her as "woman" or "earth girl". But he had actually called her Bulma. She dropped the tools she had just picked up and continued to stare at the door...

Vegeta walked out the front door of Capsule Corp. and immediately took off. He had no particular destination, but he knew he had to get out for a while. As he flew, his thoughts raced over what had just happened. "What's wrong with me?" He didn't have the answer. Something in that woman's voice had made him feel... different, than he had always felt. It was almost as if she had shattered the warrior's soul that flowed within him. And all she had to do was speak. "Why did I say I was sorry? I'm never sorry for anything! I don't have to be!"

He flew northward and landed on a solitary mountaintop in the wilderness. There he sat beneath a large oak tree and pondered the situation. What was it that made him say what he had said to her? He stared up at the sky for a time, thinking all the while. He watched the clouds overhead, moving gently in time with the planet's rotation. 'How silly' he thought. 'There's no way a simple human female can disarm me, the Prince of Saiyans. I'm the strongest fighter in the universe! And yet, she had some sort of effect on me.' He couldn't comprehend it.

The clouds started to take on shapes as he sat. One reminded him of the pod that brought him here in the first place. Another reminded him of his old companion, Nappa. Still another seemed to take the shape of Kakkarot, with that wild hairdo of his. And then, he came to a realization. He had spent all his life destroying things, laying waste to planets, all in the name of Freiza. He had never taken time to really experience them, though. Not like he was this day. The silence around him made him relax a bit. He wondered if his home planet of Vegeta would have ever been like this. As he remembered it, Vegeta had a black sky, nearly an eternal nightfall. But this planet, it's sky was blue, just like her eyes...

Her eyes. He was thinking of Bulma again. 'Ooooo, why does she invade my every thought now? It's like a virus that doesn't go away! Am I getting weak like Kakkarot? But still, there's something about her...' No matter how he tried to play it off, he kept thinking back to her. That woman. And as he did, the feeling he felt when she said those things to him came back to him in a rush. Annoyed at this new feeling, he took off again and began to fly back towards the town.

As he flew over the quiet town Capsule Corp. called home, Vegeta looked down at the humans walking around, talking, going about their insignificant little lives. They didn't seem to notice him. Noone ever did unless he was attracting attention in battle. There were all these little humans, yet only himself and Kakkarot remained of the once mighty Saiyan race. Deep down, this upset him. Here he was, the prince of a race that had only two full blood members left. Yet these humans were plentiful. This was an emotion that he, in all his pride and Saiyan glory, could not escape: Lonliness.

As he flew over the area that the humans called "Downtown", something caught his eye. It was that other human, the one they called Yamcha. And he wasn't alone. Vegeta flew down closer to see what he was up to.

Yamcha and a blonde girl sat at a local coffee shop, laughing and holding hands. "So, anyway, this alien guy shows up, right, and starts demanding to know where the Dragonballs are so he can wish to be immortal. But we weren't having any of that, and we all started whooping up on this dude. When we were done with him, he went running back to space crying. He learned not to mess with me and my crew!"

"Oh, Yamcha, you're so brave!" The girl said.

"Yeah, but it's all part of the job, really." He took her hand in his and looked into her eyes. They sat there, staring at each other. He didn't even notice the Saiyan Prince landing nearby, watching them with interest...

'Well well well' Vegeta thought to himself. 'Isn't that the one who's supposed to be that woman's mate? What's he doing out with another woman?' It's known throughout the universe that Saiyans have very acute hearing, and Vegeta heard every word Yamcha spoke to the girl. He was talking about his fight with Kakkarot and making it sound as if he were the hero and the Saiyan was nothing more than  
a coward. This made him very angry...   
  
"So, anyway," Yamcha stood up from the table and motioned for his lady friend to do the same, "Where do you wanna go now, baby?"

By this time, Vegeta stood behind Yamcha, hiding his power level so the human wouldn't sense his presence. "Why don't you start by sitting that woman back down and telling her what REALLLLLLY happened that day, you worthless little insect."

Yamcha felt a chill run up and down his spine as he realized who's voice it was. "V.. v... ve... Vegeta! What are you doing here?" He turned to see his former foe standing against the wall of the coffee shop, his arms crossed in his usual, defiant pose, sporting an evil grin he had become all too familiar with.

"Why don't you begin at the part where you and your 'crew' sent me crying back to outer space. Or should I tell her about how I nearly destroyed you if Kakkarot hadn't been there to save your sorry hide?"

"Awww, come on, Vegeta. Ha ha! I was just kidding. Really..."

Vegeta wouldn't let him finish. "And besides, don't you already have a woman, that one called Bulma? What are you doing here with this one, eh, Yamcha?"

Yamcha froze in fear. Of all the people to catch him moonlighting with other girls, it had to be Vegeta. "Uhhh, you'll have to excuse me, I got, uhhh, some training to catch up on, yeah! Heh heh." He took off running like a bat out of hell down the street. His lady friend remained, staring with wonder at Vegeta.

"What are you looking at? Shows over, little girl. Why don't you go home and do your nails or something." And with that, he took off and headed back to the Capsule Compound to see how things were going with his GT. The girl, still as awestruck as she was when Yamcha had told him that phoney story, simply fainted.

As Vegeta flew away from the scene, his smile turned to a serious scowl. After hearing what Bulma had said to him earlier, he thought how this would add to her hardships. And then he caught himself. Why did he care? What made him so overly involved with how this woman felt? What was happening to him?

The rest of that week was pretty much the same as any other week. Bulma had repaired the GT, and Vegeta went right back to his training. They hadn't spoken to each other at all. But in the back of his mind, Vegeta was thinking about the other day when he caught Yamcha with that other woman. He had felt like telling her on several occasions, but something kept him from doing it. To take his mind off of the whole matter, he devoted himself to his training. But as he worked his body to it's limits, the thought of how that would affect the woman ate away at his concentration.

He kept his silence until that Saturday night. Bulma had been out all day doing her weekly shopping, and Vegeta spent the day as usual, training. It wasn't until after dark that he came out of the GT and made his way into the house. His first stop was the refridgerator. Training always made him extra hungry, and turned Bulma's shopping trips into grocery convoys like no other. Deep down, he felt himself appreciate what she was doing for the first time. But he quickly squashed those feelings and sat down to a large meal, even for his appetite.

After he finished eating, he headed to his room. For some reason, the humans had placed him in the room directly next door to Bulma's. As he walked by, he heard her screaming. She was the only one in the room, so he figured she must be on the device they called the "telephone". Curious as to why she was so angry, he stood by her door and listened as she shouted obscenities to whoever was on the other end. He managed a smile. 'The woman deffinately has some spark in her. She's a real firecracker' he laughed as he thought. But then, suddenly, he heard her scream "YOU ASSHOLE!" and slam the phone down on the hook. What he heard next again made those unknown feelings swell up inside him: she began to cry.

As he lay in his bed, Vegeta could hear Bulma in the next room, crying to no end. Normally, he would have ignored it, playing it off as human weakness, the same kind Kakkarot was prone to at times. But tonight, his thoughts were not of how weak and pathetic humans were. They were on the woman. Something must have really hurt her to make her this upset. He listened quietly for some time, until there was no sound coming from her room. 'Must have cried herself to sleep' he thought. As he drifted off to sleep, a single tear made it's way down his cheek.

The next day, Vegeta trained with a renewed sense of urgency. The thoughts of the previous night were with him, and he struggled to comprehend why. This only made him fight harder. As he laid waste to one drone after another, he wrestled with the feelings he had been experiencing over the last week. 'I am the Prince of Saiyans, the strongest fighter in the universe! What's wrong with me? Why am I allowing myself to get weak-hearted like Kakkarot does? I'm stronger than he is! His feelings are his weakness!'

"WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME?!?" He let out a blast like no other, and blew the GT's drones to bits. He stood there, breathing heavily. The computer in the trainer chattered that it was ending the gravity simulation, which was set at 350 times the earth's normal gravity. All he could do was stare at the monitor. His every thought should be on training, not the petty squabbles of the humans. Yet, that's exactly where they were. And this scared him...

Vegeta walked out of the room which housed the GT, and made his way down the hall. He paused as he heard Bulma working in her lab, and stepped back to the door. From behind it, he could hear her muttering something about Yamcha. Had she found out about the other day? Did she know? He had to find out. Slowly, he opened the lab door...

"Stupid Yamcha. Why does he have to do that sort of thing when he knows things are as bad as they are? I should have known a long time ago I couldn't trust him. Why did I go back out with him? 'Oh Bulma, I'm sorry, it'll never happen again, I promise', yeah, right. How could I be so stupid?" She was hunched over a series of gadgets, working furiously. She didn't notice that Vegeta was behind her. "That jerk. Going out with all these bimbos all the time, never thinking about what he's doing to me. He should be training to fight these androids, not sewing his wild oats." In her frustration, a knife she was working with slipped from her hand, and cut her palm rather badly. "Oooooh, DAMNIT!" she yelled, and clasped her hand. She bagan to cry.

Vegeta stood there. He didn't know what to do or say. Seeing her sitting there, crying over what that stupid human man had done to her, he felt the rush of those feelings coming over him again. But he supressed them again, and spoke.

"What's the matter with you, woman? Why are you crying?" He said in his usual tone.

"What does it matter to you?" She yelled at him without turning around. Vegeta said nothing. "Well, if you must know, Mr. High and Mighty, I've cut my hand, not to mention Yamcha has been nothing short of a moron lately." She was still sobbing slightly, trying to hide her feelings as well.

"Let me see the cut woman. It can't be all that bad." He stepped towards her, but she swung at him with her uninjured hand.

"Back off, Captain Ego. I don't need your help. Besides, it's not like you care anyway..."

"I said let me see the cut, you crazy woman!" He took her hand and examined the wound. And it hit him. He couldn't supress it any longer. Touching her hand made him overflow with that feeling that had been haunting him all week. "It's not very bad at all. Just get some bandages on it and it will be fine."

Bulma, still crying a bit, turned to look at the Saiyan now holding her hand. "Wha... What did you say?"

"Did I stutter? I said get some bandages on it and it will be alright. Are you deaf, woman?"

Bulma could only stare at him. Had he really said that? Had he actually shown some concern over her injury? Vegeta? She couldn't believe it. She just stared at him, speachless.

Vegeta's eyes moved and met hers. There they were. Those eyes. The ones he was reminded of that day on the mountain. He found himself helpless. He couldn't tear himself away from her gaze. For some reason, he was frozen. And, in that instant, his cold, Saiyan heart seemed to melt. He felt warm, a feeling he had never felt before in his life. Was this woman getting to him? Yes, he thought, but couldn't do anything to stop what he felt. He was powerless...

"Vegeta..." Bulma was almost smiling now, though tears were still running down her cheeks. Vegeta reached up with his other hand and wiped them away. 'Is this the same Vegeta?' Bulma thought. 'But why is he acting like this?' As she looked into his black eyes, she noticed that they didn't look as distant as they had before. Her heart began to race like it never had before. A feeling of comfort and trust overcame her. But, around Vegeta? 

The Saiyan Prince was equally as speachless. He was totally disarmed now, unable to tear his gaze from hers. It was though they were locked in a moment in time. He felt his heart begin to beat furiously, and he had no clue why. This woman was getting to him, and for some reason, he didn't care. All he could do was stare at those big blue eyes of hers...

"Vegeta, I should go get some bandages on this cut..." Bulma spoke in a near whisper, but still she didn't move. The blood from her cut ran down onto Vegeta's white glove, but neither of them seemed to pay it any mind. Finally, Bulma was able to regain her senses. "Really, I've got to go take care of this." She pulled her hand away from his, still staring into his eyes. There was something different about him now, almost human. She made her way out of the lab, and as she left, a smile crossed her lips as she looked back at Vegeta, who was still staring off into space...

That night, Vegeta sat on top of the main housing building of the Capsule Corp. compound, staring up at the stars. For the first time in a long time, he was at ease. Kakkarot wasn't around, and he felt that he could let his pride go for a bit. His thoughts were on Bulma. She was the only person, Saiyan or otherwise, to ever see him as he was earlier in the lab. And yet, for some reason, he was OK with it. He didn't understand why he felt this way, but he reasoned that it can't be all that bad. What harm could she cause? And in all his years, he had felt so alone. But now he had some sort of bond with her, and that void was slowly being filled. He stared at the night sky, wondering at which ones had planets which he destroyed. All those systems, countless civilizations, obliterated at his hand.   
  
Yet this one, this one remained. And on it, he had found someone who made him feel different, like he never had felt before. Was he becoming soft like Kakkarot? Was this place starting to affect him as it did his rival? No, he thought. He was, after all, the Prince of the Saiyans. But what did that matter? Being that there were only two left, he and Kakkarot, he had no people over which to rule as he rightfully should. There was no point in it. All he ever had was taken away by Freiza, and now he was gone, dead at the hands of that mysterious young Super Saiyan. Even his father, King Cold, fell at the hands of that strange youth. How could that boy be a Saiyan? And so powerful a Saiyan, at that? He felt himself start to drift off to sleep, when he heard a sound behind him.

"Vegeta?" It was Bulma. She had climed up onto the roof after him.

"What do you want, woman?"

"What are you doing up here this late?"

"It's none of your business, now leave me alone."

"Listen to you. Always with that pompus attitude. The big loner, Mr. I'm The Prince of Saiyans. What is your major malfunction?"

Vegeta heard the demeanor in her voice, and for some reason, he let his guard down a bit. "If you must know, I'm thinking about what all has happened. My home planet, Freiza, and that kid that did him in. It all doesn't make any sense."

"It must be hard for you, knowing that you're one of the last of your kind."

"You have no idea how it feels, woman. You wouldn't know, because Kakkarot got lucky and kept me from doing the same to your kind and this pitiful rock."

"Hey, look, you don't have to get testy with me. I didn't come up here to take that kind of abuse from you."

"Then why did you come up here? Why are you so concerned with me?"

"Vegeta, earlier, when I cut my hand, I noticed something. Something different. It was almost like you actually cared about me..."

"Well, don't get too used to it. You caught me at a moment when I wasn't feeling like myself."

"Oh, don't worry, I won't get used to it. No matter what, you'll always be the same Vegeta we all know and hate."

"Glad to see that you feel the same way I do. Now then, if you don't mind, I'd like to be..."

Vegeta was cut off by Bulma, who laid down next to him, stairing up at the sky along with him.

"So, how many of them have you been to? I was only to two of them, that weird planet we thought was Namek and Namek itself. You must have been to hundreds..."

Vegeta couldn't say a word. He was in shock that she totally ignored him telling her to go away. He looked over at her for a moment, then looked back up to the sky above. "I never kept track of how many planets I went to. It didn't matter when I was working for that scum bag Freiza. And most of them, I destroyed. So it's not like I took the time to care, either."

"Oh, come on, Vegeta, drop the attitude and talk to me! You don't know how lonely it gets having everyone thinking you're just a mechanical genious tomboy. Or a meaningless ex like that idiot Yamcha."

Vegeta felt his heart growing warm again. So she did feel like he did. He wasn't alone in his lonliness. Though he had lost nearly all of his kind, here was another being in the universe that felt the way he did. Alone.

"I don't know why he has to keep doing that. Hell, I don't even know why I keep giving him another chance. He can be such an ass. It's guys like him that make me think there isn't a man in the universe that understands what love is."

Love. Was that what was taking over his mind, his body? Was it that emotion the humans called love? He had seen it when Kakkarot and his wife were together. They fought alot, but in the end, they remained true to each other. And their son, that brat Gohan. When they were wished back from Namek, he fiercely defended his father though things seemed impossible. Was that love? Was that what he was feeling now?

Bulma, in a bold move, moved her head and rested it on Vegeta's shoulder. "You must feel alone, Vegeta. You and Goku are the only Saiyans left. That's gotta make you feel so lonely. Well, you're not the only one. Sure, there are a bunch of other humans around, yeah. But in the end, I feel like I'm an outcast. They all think I'm Mrs. Fixit. They don't seem to know how I feel..."  
  
How she feels. These words struck a chord in Vegeta's soul. She understood him. In a way, she understood what made him who he was. The anger, the feelings of vengance he had against Freiza. She felt them too, on her own level. He felt the urge to yell at her and tell her to stop her mindless drivel, how her emotions made her weak. But then he'd be exposing himself in the process. 

"Bulma..."

He had said it again. He had said her name. She tilted her head in his shoulder to look at him as he spoke. "Yes, Vegeta?"

"I... I... I understand how you feel..."

It was all he had to say. It wasn't much, but it got the point accross. She raised her head and looked at him as he stared at the vast expanse of starlit heavens above them. He seemed to be like a child to her, a scared, lonesome boy. He had opened up to her. The cold, murdurous Saiyan seemed more human than ever before to her. She smiled. This was a side of Vegeta noone had ever seen before. So, there was a light shining in his dark heart.

A chill breeze blew accross the two, and Bulma began to shiver. She threw her arm around the Saiyan Prince and pulled herself closer to him. Vegeta was in a small state of shock. He felt her shivering up against his body. But, he didn't yell. How could he? This woman was the only one who seemed to understand him, even if it was only some small part of his being. One that noone ever knew about, not even  
Nappa. But she had figured it out without effort. He put his arm around her and pulled her close. The breeze kept going, and she continued to shiver. Without a second thought, Vegeta pulled her closer and powered up his ki, generating a small warm glow around them. She stopped shivering and snuggled close to him, and was soon fast asleep. He looked down at her. She was so peaceful. And at that moment, he realized that he too, for the first time in his life, was feeling rather peaceful himself. He smiled and drifted off to sleep himself...  
  
That's it for Chapter One. If you wanna 2nd R, feel free. But remember, there's ALOT more to go! Thanks for the great response, everyone ^.^ Remember to visit the [Home Site][2] for all my FanFiction!

   [1]: http://RanchoRelaxo99.tripod.com/vegetabulma/
   [2]: http://RanchoRelaxo99.tripod.com/lounge/



	2. First Kiss

Untitled Document Dragon Ball Z: Unlikely Romance  
A Dragon Bball Z FanFic By Eric Jacobson  
Chapter Two -- First Kiss  
[Story Home Site][1] [Eric's Writer's Lounge][2]

Disclaimer: Me no own DBZ. Me no make money. Me no get sued.

"For as long as I can remember, even when I was a little girl, I had this vision in my mind. One time, my father had read me the story of Cinderella. How a Prince was looking for the girl of his dreams. A fairy godmother came and gave Cinderella her wish. She then got to dance the night away with her love, the handsome Prince. But, at midnight, it was all taken away from her, and she ran off, thinking she'd be alone forever.

"But, a few days later, her Prince came for her. The glass slipper he had with him fit her, and she magically regained all that made her more than just a step sister. In the end, she had found her Prince, and lived Happily Ever After...

"And then there's me. In fairy tales, the Prince always comes to take the maiden away and ride off into the sunset, totally in love. That'll never happen to me at this rate. Yamcha has been acting totally weird, being a total jerk. Why doesn't he even try to see what's going on with me? I don't think he'll ever understand. He's coming over tonight to talk to me. I can only hope that I can make him see. If he can't, I guess I'll have to stay lost and alone for the rest of my life. I might never find my Prince at this rate..."

Bulma closed her journal and sighed. It seemed like she was writing this same story over and over again. Yamcha could be such a moron. Acting all sneaky and never being able to give her a straight answer about anything he had been doing while he was gone. She had long ago settled on the probable cause: He was out with other girls. But she never had the proof she needed. Tonight, she would confront him about it and settle it once and for all. She couldn't take much more heartbreak...

An explosion rocked the house. 'Vegeta again. I'll bet he trashed his trainer for the millionth time.' There was no end to the cycle. Vegeta would overload the gravitational trainer, she would fix it. He would be good for a week or so, then he would blow it up again. It went on and on like that. And it made her mad...

She stormed down to the lab and got her tool belt strapped on. She then made her way to the trainer room, and was given a bad surprise when she opened the door. Amid the debris and smoke of the ruined trainer she found Vegeta, buried underneath a pile of rubble. All she could see was his right hand laying limp on what was left of the control panel.   
  
"Oh my god! Vegeta!" She ran to his aid, digging through what was left of the former ceiling of the trainer. Deep inside her, her heart raced. She was moving with a determination she had never before shown. "Vegeta, say something, give me a sign. Oh god, Vegeta..."

As she uncovered him, she found him to be unconcious and unresponsive. She cradled him on her lap immediately, and began to try anything she could to bring the Saiyan warrior back to reality. "Vegeta, speak to me! Oh, this isn't good, SOMEONE HELP ME!"

Vegeta awoke to find himself in new surroundings. His vision was blurry, and he couldn't make out anything. All he saw above him was what he thought to be a white ceiling. 'Where... where am I? How did I get here? Oooohhh, my whole body hurts like crazy! What the hell happened to me?' His thoughts were racing. He tried to piece together the details of the recent past. 'I remember working out in the GT. The gravity was set at 375, and things were going alright, arrrgh! It's still a blur...'

He closed his eyes and opened them again, half hoping that the world would clear itself up a bit. There was some improvement, but not much. He turned his head to one side, hoping to get some clue as to his surroundings. He barely made out the outline of someone sitting on a chair. From what he could tell in his weak state, that person was face down on what looked like a desk of some kind. Their face was turned away from him, all he could really see was a bluish blur. He could only think of one person he knew with that color hair...

"Bul... m... ma..." His voice was barely a whisper, his strength wasn't even enough to give it much of a tone at all. With that, he passed back out, too weak to even stay awake.

Bulma stirred a bit, she had heard something. She opened her eyes and looked around, her mind still groggy from the nap she had apparently been taking. "Hmm. I must have dozed off. Oh! Vegeta!" She turned to her patient, who lay on his bed, still out cold. "Hmm, no change. Oh Vegeta, why do you have to push yourself so hard? You've really got me worried."

She looked at him for a little while. It all seemed so strange, seeing him here like this. The proud Saiyan now unconcious and bedridden. He looked like a child to her. A hurt little boy too proud to think about getting help. But this time, he was too hurt to have the choice. He looked so helpless. 'I wish I knew what made him so driven. Is it because of the androids? Or is it because of his lonliness? Please, Vegeta, get better. You've got to.' As she thought, a single tear formed and ran down her cheek. She got up from the desk and made her way out of his room. As she closed the door, she paused to look at him one more time. 'You've got to get better, Vegeta. Don't leave me alone again...'

Vegeta awoke again, his head still ringing a bit from the blast that had knocked him out. "Arrrrgh. My head is exploding! I guess I lost a rough battle with that machine of theirs. Oooo." He sat up slowly and looked around. He was in his room, in his own bed. "They must have brought me up here after the explosion. I don't see why, they know I'd be fine, even after a jolt like that one." He swung his legs around to the side of the bed and tried to get up, but he couldn't make it very far. He brought his hand down onto the desk next to his bed to right himself as he fell back, and he felt something on the top, under his hand. After he shook some cobwebs out of his mind, he picked the object up from the desk and looked at it. It was an earring. "How did this worthless bobble get in here? Oh, wait, it must belong to... Bulma..."

Amid the pain and anguish his body was going through, it came again. It overtook the pain he was feeling. That same feeling he had experienced that night on the roof when he talked to her. It was happening again, and again, it made him scared. He could only stare at the earring, wide eyed from the emotions swirling through him. 'Why does simply picking up a meaningless nick nack make me feel this way? How can something as stupid as this little rock do this to me? Bulma... What is this power that you seem to have over me?' Suddenly, he heard shouting coming from the next room.

"What? What's going on over there?" Vegeta slowly got up and limped his way towards the wall that seperated his room from Bulma's. He stumbled and fell to one knee, his body wincing from the pain. But he sucked it all up and got back to his feet, and continued on untill he reached his destination. He pressed his ear up to the wall and listened...   
  
"Yamcha, what the hell is your problem?" It was Bulma. That pathetic human Yamcha must be in there with her...

"Look, Bulma, you know I can't help myself. I mean, I get it from Master Roshi, really..."

"I don't care where you get it from. You shouldn't get it at all. You were supposed to have quit this nonsense a long time ago. And now I find out that you were with another girl. Hell, Yajirobi even told me that Vegeta gave you a good earful."  
  
"That little snake in the grass! When I get my hands on him, I'll..."

"You'll what, Yamcha? Beat him up because he caught you with one of your little bimbos? That's pretty pathetic, Yamcha. Blaming Yajirobi when you know full well that you're the guilty party. You're such a jack ass, you know."

Vegeta squeezed tighter on the earing in his hand and lifted it up. He looked at the tiny piece of jewelry and smiled. 'She really is almost Saiyan. She's got some serious fire burning inside of her.' He pressed his ear back to the wall and listened some more.

"Come on, Yamcha, get over it. I can't believe I'm admitting this, but even Vegeta has more sense in him than you do. You must be doing something wrong if HE even says you're in the wrong. You're such an idiot..."

"Vegeta? There's no way he could ever be a better man than me! That bastard doesn't even have a sympathetic bone in his whole chimpanzee body! I'm 10 times the man he is..."

"More like 10 times the simian. Face it, Yamcha. You're a womanizing loser. Now get out of my face and don't ever come near me again, not while you still think you can convince me that there's a good reason why I should ever go out with you again. There is no good reason."

"Yes there is, Bulma. Give me one more chance, I can change, I swear it! You don't know how sorry I really am..."

Vegeta was growing sick and tired of hearing Yamcha's lies. Such a coward, trying to talk his way out of a hole instead of taking his punishment like a man. He wasn't anywhere near the warrior he was.

"Yamcha, there is nothing you can say to me that would make me give you another chance. Now I believe I told you to leave..."

Yamcha reached out in desperation and grabbed Bulma by the arm. "Bulma, you've got to listen to me..."

"Yamcha, let go. You're hurting me..."

"I swear, Bulma, this is the last time. I'm done with all the other women!"

"Yamcha, LET GO OF ME!!!"

Vegeta couldn't take anymore. A shot of adrenaline coarsed through his veins, and he powered up his ki as much as he could in his injured state. "NO MORE!" He screamed, and blasted his way through the wall. He now stood in Bulma's room, staring Yamcha down with his icy glare. He didn't speak a word, he just stared at the man before him. Bulma stood in shock. She looked at the hole in her wall, then back to who had come through it. And almost as suddenly as he broke in, Vegeta took off straight for Yamcha. He grabbed him and plowed him through the wall by the door leading out to Bulma's balcony, and flew up into the sky over the compound. There, he hung Yamcha in mid- air, staring into his eyes with hatred. But this hatred was different, and had different origins...

Bulma ran out onto her balcony and looked up at the two men floating above her home. What had made Vegeta pull a stunt like this? All she could do was look as Vegeta seemed to be saying something to her former beau. After a few moments, she was even more surprised to see Vegeta let Yamcha go. Normally, when Vegeta was angered by something or someone, he wouldn't stop until he had demolished them. But he actually let Yamcha go. As Yamcha flew away, Bulma turned her stare to Vegeta, who was now flying back to her room.

Vegeta landed next to her, and immediately collapsed to his knees. Bulma hurriedly came to his aid again. "What are you doing out of bed, Vegeta? You know you're too weak yet to do much of anything, let alone this. What the hell possessed you to do that, anyway?"

"He... he was... hurting... you..."

"What?" She couldn't believe it. The mighty Saiyan, who she always looked at as a brutal murderer, was now showing compassion for someone else. And, to make things more interesting, he was showing compassion for her. "Vegeta, you've got to get back into bed. You're going to kill yourself if you don't rest."

"I'm alright, woman. And I don't need your..." He fell onto his side, clutching his body in severe pain.

"Whatever, Vegeta. I'm taking you to bed, right now." She picked him up and helped him through the new entrance to his room and into his bed. After she got him situated, she sat down at the desk and turned to him. "What the heck did you say to Yamcha out there? And weirder still, why did you let him go?"

Still weak from his outburst, Vegeta resolved to speak softly. "I told him that I didn't want to see him around you for a very long time. You don't deserve to be treated like that by a pathetic person like him. And I let him go because killing him would have only made you hurt worse that you do now."

"My God. What's gotten into you, Vegeta? Since when did you care about me so much? You must have been eavesdropping while he and I were fighting. What the heck am I going to do about those holes you put in the walls? What were you thinking, Vegeta?"

There was no answer.

"Vegeta?" She looked over to see the Saiyan Prince, asleep. She smiled. He looked so vulnerable lying there. She looked down to his hand, which still held her earring. "There it is. I wonder how he got it?" And then she remembered her nap. It must have fallen out while she was sleeping at the desk, and he found it when he woke up. But he had held onto it the whole time? Her heart skipped a beat, and she sighed. "Get some rest, Vegeta." She ran her hand down his cheek, and he stirred a bit. 'Maybe I shouldn't give up on finding my Prince.' she thought to herself, and layed her head down on the desk. She looked at him for a time, and drifted off to sleep.

Vegeta awoke and looked around. He wasn't in as much pain as he had been the night before. The vague memories of the incident with Yamcha began to flow back into his memory. He remembered taking him through the wall and chewing his ear off about the way he was hurting Bulma, and how he told him to never come near her again. Humans could be so pathetic sometimes.

He rolled his head towards the desk, where he saw Bulma sitting in the chair, her head laid down in her arms, fast asleep. 'What is she doing here? Did she sit there with me all night? Why?' He couldn't figure out what she was thinking. As he stared at her, the new feelings gushed up inside of him. He was getting all too familiar with them, but at the same time he was getting used to them. As long as noone but her saw them, he could retain his pride.

Slowly, he sat up and put his hand to his head. He still had one serious headache. Must have come from going through the wall in his weakened condition. He made his way to his feet, but doubled over from the pain. As he hit the floor, the noise woke Bulma up. She rubbed her eyes and looked at the bed, only to find Vegeta not in it. She looked behind her and saw him laying on the floor, cringing in pain.

"Vegeta? What are you doing?"

Vegeta looked up at her with something of an annoyed look on his face. "I... I'm starving. I need... something to eat..."

"Oh, well you're never going to get to the kitchen like that, silly. Here, let me help you." "No! I don't need your help. I can make it there on my own, even if it kills me to do so."

"Come on, Vegeta. Drop the attitude and let me help you."

There was no way he could resist. He couldn't move very well under his own power, and she was being as adamant as ever. He only hoped that noone else would see him being assisted by a human, let alone a human female. If Kakkarot knew that this was happening to him, it would be a serious blow to his pride...

"It's all clear, Vegeta, come on. You big baby..." Bulma tugged on Vegeta's arm to get him moving. The Saiyan warrior had told her to make absolutely sure that noone was watching him while he moved from his room upstairs to the kitchen on the first level. They were at long last there. He kept pushing her ahead of him, just to make sure, and she was getting tired of being yelled at. Deep down, though, she found it rather amusing to see him like this.

She sat him down at the table and began to rummage through the fridge for a breakfast fit for a prince. Vegeta sat staring at the table top. The Mighty Prince of Saiyans, reduced to getting aid from a human female. He was actually releived to know that noone else had seen him in this state.

"What do you want, Vegeta? We have eggs in here, and sausage, yummy! There's bacon, and orange juice..." Bulma was calling off options to him with her head still nose first in the ice box. Vegeta turned to look in her direction and answer, but his answer never came. His gaze instead met with squarely with the seat of Bulma's pants. 'There it is again! What is it about this woman? Although, I haven't really seen a good female in some time, and she... is... rather attractive, I suppose... Oooooh, what am I thinking, I'm becoming more and more like..."

"Vegeta? Vegeta, hello..." Bulma was still calling to him, waiting for his breakfast order. "Come on, Vegeta, it's cold in here. Tell me what you want to eat already!"

Quickly realizing that he'd been staring the whole time, lost in his thoughts, Vegeta snapped his attention back to the tabletop quickly and answered. "Whatever you like, Bulma, I'm sure it will do fine..." He turned slightly to look at her again. And when he saw her, she was looking at him as though she were suddenly awestruck...

Bulma couldn't believe it. She stood there, staring at Vegeta, unable to speak much at all. The mighty Saiyan, Mr. Take No Prisoners, had suddenly shown a true moment of calm. She couldn't understand it. And then, as it came to Vegeta, it came to her. That unrelenting feeling. In her state of shock, she was powerless against it. He turned to look at her fully now, and she was immediately overcome with with a sensation she hadn't felt in a long time. Her knees felt like rubber, her heart was in Indy 500 mode. She took short, desperate breaths as if she had the wind knocked out of her. Without realizing it, she dropped the still unopened milk carton, which landed upright, unharmed. But still, she stared...

'Hello, Vegeta...'

Vegeta totally ignored the milk carton. He was fixated on her gaze. He watched as she stood there, seemingly unable to move. His mind raced as he tried to piece together the jigsaw that were his feelings and thoughts, scrambled inside his head. 'She, she's looking at me. Why is she looking at me that way? Could it be that I have the effect on her she has on me? Did I actually do this?' Like a giant tsunami, Vegeta was completely overtaken by the new emotion he had been feeling these past few weeks. It was then he realized that it all had come together in a flash. That was it. That was the emotion that eluded him all his life, the one that was ripped away from him by that tyrant. He had found the part of him that was missing...

'Hello, Bulma...'

"HEY KIDS!" Vegeta and Bulma both jumped a mile high as Dr. Breif entered the kitchen from outside. "What's going on with you two this fine morning, eh? Whatcha got good cookin, eh, Bulma? Ha haaaaa! And how about you, Vegeta, feeling any better, son? Thaaaaat's good..."  
  
"I'm not your son, old man, and for you're information I feel perfectly fine. I'm merely taking a repreive from my training. Now, if your satisfied, get the hell out of my face, I'm really no in the mood right now..."

"Gee wiz, Vegeta. Heh heh. No need to get all cranky now..."

Vegeta turned his head to the old scientist and shot him an icy glare. "You want to see me get cranky, gadget man?"

Dr. Breif realized that he was setting Vegeta off on one of his ego trips again. He knew better, but he just couldn't help himself. "Well, I think I'll be heading off to the Lab. Gotta work on that enhancement you want for the trainer to send it to 450 times Earth's normal gravity. Lord knows why you wanna train at that ungodly level. I think it'll rip you in two..."

"It doesn't matter what you think old man, just make the changes. I'll become a Super Saiyan even if it kills me..."

"Well, you don't have to go that far. Anyway, ta ta! I'll get breakfast somewhere in town." Dr. Breif turned, and muttered something under his breath that Vegeta couldn't quite make out. At this point, he didn't really care what the old man had said. He wasn't feeling up to hearing more pointless gibberish from that senile human.

"Well, I'd better start cooking. The way you eat this could take till an hour after lunch..." And Bulma began to prepare their food. Neither spoke a word to each other for the remainder of the morning.

Vegeta's Saiyan biology cause him to heal quicker than humans, but it still took a good amount of time. That evening, Vegeta had regained enough strength to move around without too much trouble. His muscles still ached as he moved, but he put the pain in the back of his mind. He had to, otherwise he'd dwell on it and make himself feel worse. He stood at his window, looking out over the compound.

He looked up to the skyline. The sun had gone down a few minutes ago, and all that remained held his attention. It was a mixture of bright red, fading down to violet and ultimately the black of night as he went up. Above the colorful skyline was a single star, the first one of the young night. Since he was here on earth, he had heard a silly legend. According to it, if you wished on the first star of the evening with some silly little rhyme, your wish would come true. Nothing compared to the Dragonballs, which could actually grant wishes, but he pondered it for a time. He decided, since noone was looking, that he would recite the poem out of sheer curiosity.

"Now, how did Bulma say it went again? Starlight, star bright, first star I see tonight... I..." He searched for the words carefully, not wanting to put a hex on the whole crazy process. "I see tonight. I wish I may, I wish I might..." How did she finish it again? His head was still acheing from his injuries, and thinking made it hurt a little more. "Have... this wish... I wish tonight..." He sighed as he lowered his head to make his wish. "All my life I wished for immortality. To be the strongest fighter in the entire universe. But tonight, that's not even close to what I want. I wish I could understand what was happening to me. What makes me feel the way I do around her? What is it that makes me go soft when she's around? This has been gnawing at my soul for weeks now. All I want is to know why..."

Vegeta hadn't heard the door opening behind him. Bulma was standing in the archway, looking at him with quiet wonder. "Vegeta?"

Vegeta didn't jump like he normally did. He didn't snap at her and tell her to leave him alone. The truth was, he didn't want her to leave him alone. He just turned his head and looked at her. He even managed a smile. "Hello, Bulma."

"I thought I'd check in on you, see what you were up to. You feeling better?"

"Yes, I am. But I still hurt somewhat. It's no matter, though. Soon I'll be back to my old self."

"Why am I afraid of that notion? He he he! Just kidding. What are you looking at over there?" She walked accross the room to the window where Vegeta stood, and looked out. "It's lovely, isn't it, Vegeta?" Without thinking, she leaned back into him, laying her head between his arm and shoulder.

"Bulma..." Vegeta couldn't speak. Those feelings were as strong as ever. He searched for the words he wanted to say, but he wasn't sure about any of them. Not yet, at least. "Yes. Yes, it is quite lovely. I never really stoped to notice it before."

He looked out at the star he had just wished on, and looked down at her. The evening sky was reflecting in her eyes. The shades of color danced and played with the blue in her eyes. Vegeta was transfixed. 'How do I explain it all to her? And how will she take it? She knows me as a tyrant, an arrogant snob. How could she understand what's going through my mind?' At that moment, he made his decision. He reached down, opened the window, and then took Bulma into his arms around her waist.

"Vegeta, what are you doing?" She was surprised by his bold move.

"I want you to come somewhere with me, right now."

"Right now? Are you sure you're strong enough to fly? I mean, you're still hurt and all, and..." She didn't have a chance to finish. The next thing she knew, she was floating high above the town. She threw her arms around his neck in a panic, and closed her eyes. A few seconds later, she opened them to find herself flying over a tranquil wilderness, the woods to the north of town. "Where are we going, Vegeta?"

"You'll see soon enough." He flew on for a few more moments before beginning to decend at a very quick rate. Bulma tightened her grip on the Saiyan, afraid she was going to crash. To her surprise, she felt herself slow to a near stop in an instant. Vegeta set her onto the ground. "This is the mountain top where I first began to think about what this planet meant to me. It was here that I first sat back and just... looked at the world around me. I had never done that before, no matter how many planets I've been to. And as I took in everything, my thoughts kept drifting back to one thing. The one thing that seems to make being stranded on this rock worthwhile..."

"Wow. Vegeta, this spot is so lovely! No wonder you were able to relax and look around. There isn't anything else here to distract you."

"No, there isn't. It was here that I began to come to terms with something. A change that's been taking place inside of me. At first I was afraid of it. But now, I only want to understand why it happens." He turned away from her and started to walk towards the edge of the mountain top. "Every time I was around that something, these... feelings... began to swell up inside of me. It clouded my judgement, and even made me feel as if I was becoming soft like Kakkarot. But at the same time, it made me feel at ease. That's something I haven't felt my entire life."  
  
"Vegeta, I don't think I understand..."

"That something is..." He turned back to her and looked her straight in the eyes. "You, Bulma."

"What?"  
  
"It's you. Everytime I look at the sky, I'm reminded of your eyes. Everytime you touch me, I become helpless. Everytime I hear your voice, the raging fire that burns in my soul is doused. My heart beats like it's never beaten, not even like when I battled Freiza or Kakkarot. It's you, you're the cause of all this."

"Me? Vegeta..." She didn't know what to say. Vegeta had just poured his heart out to her. She couldn't move, couldn't tear her gaze away from his. They were standing mearly 5 feet apart, yet she felt so close to him. He had touched her heart like noone had ever done before. She tried to speak. "Vegeta... I don't know what... what to say..."

"I don't want you to say anything. I only want one thing. Help me understand what's happening to me. Help me figure out how to..." He walked to her and took her face in his hand. "How... to love..." And with that, he pulled her close to him and looked in her eyes. The star, the same one he had wished on, shone brightly in them. Possessed by a demon he did not understand, he closed his eyes, brought his lips to hers, and gently kissed her...

That moment, to them, seemed like an eternity. Two beings, as different as can be, brought together by fate. Was it really fate? Neither of them knew for sure, but neither cared. They were caught in the moment, frozen in time. It was just them, the rest of the world seemed so far away. When it was over, Vegeta opened his eyes and looked at the woman standing before him. Her eyes were closed as well, she was still reeling from the kiss. She slowly opened them, their gaze focused squarely on him.

"Bulma," he said, "Earlier, when you said the night was lovely. It cannot compare to how lovely you look tonight..."

Bulma threw her arms around Vegeta's neck again, and laid her head on his chest. "Vegeta..."   
  
"Yes, Bulma?"

"Thank you..."

They didn't speak another word for some time. They didn't have to. Above them, the star which Vegeta had wished on shone brightly, pulsating with it's white light, as if to signal the begining of something magical...

  
That's it for Chapter Two. If you wanna 2nd R, feel free. But remember, there's ALOT more to go! Thanks for the great response, everyone ^.^ Remember to visit the [Home Site][2] for all my FanFiction!

   [1]: http://RanchoRelaxo99.tripod.com/vegetabulma/
   [2]: http://RanchoRelaxo99.tripod.com/lounge/



	3. Secrets

Untitled Document Dragon Ball Z: Unlikely Romance  
A Dragon Bball Z FanFic By Eric Jacobson  
Chapter Three -- Secrets  
[Story Home Site][1] [Eric's Writer's Lounge][2]

Disclaimer: Don't sue me, please!!! I'm not making any cash off this thing...

Bulma was working in her lab late one night. Though it was around 2 AM, she was full of energy. She danced around her gadgets and tables, singing to herself. Her moment with Vegeta only two nights before had left her feeling like she was reborn. Her Prince had finally come for her.

Accross the hall, Vegeta sat in the GT. He had been training exceptionally hard that day, and had finally ended the 390 times gravity simulation. Sweat seemed to gush out of his pores as he sat, winded. His newfound energy was all owed to Bulma. The time he had spent with her somehow rejuvinated him, adding to his already speedy Saiyan healing ability. It also gave him a reason other than Kakkarot to train his hardest. 

He shut down the GT for the night and made his way into the hall. Before he was going to go upstairs, though, he resolved to discuss something with Bulma. He knocked on the door to her lab, and opened it slightly...

"Um... Bulma?"

Bulma spun around happily to see her Saiyan Prince standing in the doorway. "Vegeta! Are you finally done training? You've been in there all day..."

"I could say the same for you. You've been in here since breakfast."

"Oh, I know. I've been busy all day. I couldn't seem to figure out the upgrades for the Dragon Radar, and didn't get it right till about an hour ago. But I didn't even get mad. And it's all thanks to you." She smiled and threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly.

"Bulma, I wanted to talk to you about something..."

"Well, silly, go ahead! You've got my attention..."

"Bulma... It's about... it's about us..."

Suddenly, Bulma's smile turned into a look of despair.

"Oh, no, it's nothing like you would think. I still want to continue spending time with you and all, but something is bothering me..."

Bulma sighed in releif. "What's on your mind, Vegeta?" "Well, you know how I am around everyone but you. To them, all I seem to have is my pride. They don't know about the way I am around you. And, if you don't mind, I would like to keep it that way. If Kakkarot found out that I had a soft spot, he'd look at me like I was no longer a challenge..."

"Goku would not look at you that way, Vegeta. Get a grip! Goku is an understanding person. If anything, he'd be happy for us!"

"Well, if it's all the same to you, I would like to keep our... relationship... under wraps for a while, while I get myself ready for this android battle. This is all I ask of you, Bulma. Please, grant me this one request..." He lowered his head, expecting a harsh response from her. He had pictured it in his mind all day. How she would think he didn't want to be seen with her, that something was wrong with her, when to him, there wasn't anything more he'd rather do than be with her.

"Oh... OK, Vegeta. I suppose we can keep it from Goku and the others for a little while. If it makes you happy..."

Vegeta cut her short by taking her in his arms and giving her a small kiss. "Being with you makes me happy, Bulma-Chan." He looked into her sky blue eyes and smiled.

Neither of them were aware that Goku already knew that they would be together. After all, that mysterious boy from the future was none other than their son, Trunks. He had told Goku that they were his parents, much to the chagrin of the Super Saiyan warrior. But since he was out in the wilderness, training with Gohan and Piccolo, there was no need for him to think about it.

The hole in the wall between Vegeta's and Bulma's rooms was replaced with a door at the request of Bulma. She figured that she could keep an eye on him easier if he overworked himself again. This turned out to be their primary means of meeting most nights. After her mother and father had gone to bed, she would open the door to Vegeta's room and invite him over to her room to chat out on the balcony.

Tonight, they stood on the balcony as usual. Bulma leaned over the railing, looking up at the starlit sky. Vegeta stood with his arms crossed against the sliding glass door that led out from her room, also looking up. They hadn't talked much at all.

"Vegeta?" Bulma was still looking up at the stars, almost as if she were daydreaming at night.

"Yes, Bulma-Chan?"

"When this whole thing is over, the androids and everything, where will you go?"

"I..." Vegeta was caught off guard at the question. He hadn't even given a thought to where he'd go once he'd beaten Kakkarot and finished his other business here on Earth. "I really don't know. My home planet is gone, and I'm sure I wouldn't be welcome on very many after what I did working for Freiza."

"Yeah. But, Vegeta, after this is all over, would you ever consider taking me out there with you? I want to see what you've seen, what's out there among the stars. I didn't have much of a chance to stop and look while we were going to Namek..."

Vegeta walked up behind her and put his arms around her waist. "Bulma-Chan, when this is all over, I promise that I will take you into outer space, just you and I, and we will do all the exploring you want to."

"Really? You seriously will?"

"Why wouldn't I? Since I've been here, I've had the chance to actually sit back and look at where I was. There must be hundreds of planets more asthetically pleasing than Earth, though they all could not compare to what I've found here. I could teach you about the universe, and perhaps you could teach me a few things about... about being with someone you... you..."

He couldn't say it. But again, he didn't have to. Bulma turned around in his arms and placed her hadns on his shoulders. She looked up at him with quiet awe. Her smile, the glow and glint in her eyes from the starlight above, and the way the moonlight played on her face. He was completely stunned by her beauty yet again.

Bulma wanted things to be like this forever. She knew that in two years, the androids were coming, and Vegeta would have to go and put his life on the line against them. But two years seemed like an eternity to her. And in that time, she hoped to have her Saiyan Prince by her side as much as she possibly could. He had changed so much in the past few weeks, a side that only she could bring out in him. As she thought, she felt herself lift off the ground.

"Vegeta, where are we going?"

He didn't speak a word to her. He only flew upward, higher and higher, never once his gaze strayed from her eyes. She tightend her grip on him a bit, fearful of being up so high without a vehicle's assistance. But, in his arms, she felt safe from any harm. Her nerves were calmed by his strong, yet loving arms wrapped around her waist.

They continued to float upward into the night sky. When they stopped, they were nearly 200 feet off of the ground. But Bulma didn't seem to mind. She was at ease, and Vegeta sensed it. He looked into her eyes and smiled at her. She was so very beautiful this night. He felt happier than he had ever felt in his long and hard lifetime.

"Bulma-Chan..."

"Vegeta..."

They embraced in a passionate kiss, and began to float downward again, slowly spinning as they went. Two people, in love without ever expressing it in words. They didn't have to. They knew each loved the other very much, there was no denying that. The moment seemed to be frozen in time yet again as they floated back towards the balcony below, spiraling ever so slowly, locked in love's gentle embrace. This was a moment that neither of them would soon forget, if ever...

They landed softly on the balcony and broke the kiss. They stared into each other's eyes for some time, silent. Speaking would have ruined their moment. They turned and walked through the door to Bulma's room. As they crossed into the house, Vegeta picked Bulma up into his arms, carried her over to the bed, and laid her down on it. 

"Bulma-Chan, it's late. We should be getting some sleep."

"Vegeta..."

He kissed her lightly on her forehead and made his way to the door to his room. He opened it and began to walk through.

"Vegeta..."

He stopped halfway through and turned back to her. "Yes, Bulma-Chan?"

"Stay with me tonight..."

The request stunned him a bit, but how could he resis the request of his princess. He returned to her bedside and sat down. She reached out and put her hand on his leg, gently rubbing it. He in turn reached out and placed his hand on her cheek, doing the same. They stayed like this for a few moments, and then Vegeta spun himself around and laid next to her. Laying there, they stared at each other for a time.

"Goodnight, my Saiyan Prince..."

"Goodnight, Bulma-Chan..."

With that, they snuggled closely together, enjoying each other's company after many nights alone in their respective beds. There weren't any sparks flying tonight, though. Tonight was for togetherness, for the quiet love that they shared, for being with each other. They drifted off to sleep, each smiling until the peace of slumber overcame them.

"Where... where am I? Why can't I see anything? What is this, some sort of illusion?" Vegeta stood in a large, black void. Though his feet seemed to be on solid ground, he could see nothing but himself. "What's going on here?" He looked around, but still saw nothing. "What kind of trick is this?"

Suddenly, before him, stood his father, King Vegeta. "Father?" The elder Saiyan said nothing. He merely stood there, looking at his son. "Father, what's going on here? And what the hell are you doing here? You died years ago..." He didn't get a chance to finish the thought. The image of his father began to fade out. "Father? Don't go, father! FAAAAATHERRRRRR!" Vegeta reached out, but it was too late. The image was gone. "I don't know what's going on, but I'm getting sick and tired of it." He began to run.

As he ran, the image of Goku appeared before him. "Kakkarot? What the hell kind of sick joke is this? I don't find it very amusing..." Suddenly, the image of the boy from the future appeared before him as well. "You? This is madness! Where am I? One of you two had better tell me before I get really angry..." He powered up his ki and fired at the two Saiyans, but when the blast reached them, they vanished. "Everyone's leaving before I can get a simple answer. What the hell does this all mean?" From behind him, he heard footsteps.

"Who's there?" He turned to look, but saw nothing. The footsteps were coming toward him, that was for sure. "Come on, show yourself!" The footsteps got faster and closer. "WHO'S THERE? SHOW YOURSELF ALREADY!" Closer, closer the footsteps came...  
  
"Vegeta?"

"That voice... It's..." He looked in the direction of the voice, but still saw nothing. "But, it can't be..."

"Vegeta, where are you?"

It was. It was Bulma's voice. "Bulma?" He called out to her. "Bulma, where are you?"

"Vegeta? I can hear you, but I can't see you. Where are you, Vegeta?"

"I'm here, Bulma! Follow my voice!"

"Vegeta, I'm scared..."

"Don't be scared. Just listen to my voice, Bulma. I'm right here..." From the darkness, Vegeta saw the feint outline of a human emerge. As it got closer, he saw that it was indeed Bulma. She was running towards him, almost in tears.

"Vegeta! VEGETA!" She ran to him and threw her arms around him. "Vegeta, is it really you?"

"Yes, Bulma, it's me. But where did you come from?"

When she was sure that it was him, she buried her face in his chest and began to cry. "Oh, Vegeta, I was so frightened. I was in this, this black sort of... nothing. I was all alone, and then Yamcha just appeared out of nowhere. I tried to talk to him, but he just vanished. So I started running. That's when I heard you yelling. I tried to find you, but I just couldn't. I was so scared, Vegeta..."

"It's alright, Bulma-Chan. I'm here now." He placed his arms around her and held her close. "I won't leave you." He lowered his head to hers and closed his eyes. When he opened them, they were standing on the shore of the ocean. He looked up, and saw a moonless, starlit sky above them. "Bulma, it's OK. You can open your eyes..."

When she did, she breathed a sigh of releif. She heard the break of the waves crashing softly onto the beach they were standing on. She looked up, and saw the same beautiful sky her companion had seen. "How... How did we get here?"

"I don't really know."

"Vegeta, what do you think this all means?"

The Saiyan Prince closed his eyes again and thought. "It all seems like a dream, really. It was as though we were seeing people who were leaving us, only to find each other. But when we did, things became right. I wonder if this is a sign..."

"It has to be, Vegeta. When you said you wouldn't leave me, somehow we were brought here..."

"I think you might be right. Are we dreaming?"

"Well..." She looked up at the mighty Saiyan warrior and smiled. "If we are, then I never want to wake up. I want to stay here with you forever."

"As do I, my dear Bulma-Chan." He looked into her sky blue eyes. It was just like their first night together. The stars were dancing in them. He let the feelings he had feared flow from within him. He no longer had to fear them. He knew the cause, and it was her. "Well, if this truely is a dream, then there is something I must do before we wake up..." He took her chin with his hand and lifted her lips to his. With a gentleness   
unbecoming of the Saiyan race, he kissed her, and felt his heart race like it never had before.

Bulma herself felt the swelling of emotions within her. Could it be that her Saiyan Prince would stay with her? Would he be the one person in her life to show her the love and desire she always wished for? She wasn't sure, and she didn't care. This moment, with Vegeta, was the closest thing to perfect she could ever hope for. He wasn't dressed like royalty, and he hadn't ridden up to her on a horse, but she was sure her Prince had finally come for her...

They both awoke as the sun rose, sending rays of light dancing through the glass door and into the room. Bulma opened her eyes to see Vegeta, smiling at her. "Vegeta, you didn't leave me..." She thought she was still within the dream she was having.

"No, Bulma-Chan. I said I would not leave you."

"Then, you had the same dream I did?"

"I think so, Bulma-Chan. But if I have to share a dream with someone, I wouldn't want it to be with anyone else but you."

The woods outside of town made a great spot for people to go to when they wanted to be alone and think about things. At least once a day, you could always find someone walking around, looking off into space, deep in their thoughts about one matter or the other. This particular day found Bulma walking amidst the trees and wildlife.

It had been nearly a month since she and Vegeta first sat together atop her father's house, looking at the stars and opening up to each other like they had. She wanted to think of something special for him, something that would remind him of that first night out there. Their first night together.

'I wonder what would be good to give him? It has to be something special, that's for sure. But what? It'd have to be something he could keep to himself, too, since he doesn't want anyone knowing he has a soft side yet.' She looked up through the trees at the blue sky above. Around her, birds were chirping merrily, and squirrels lept from branch to branch. Things were so peaceful out here. She wished Vegeta were here to share it with her...

Vegeta was where he usually was, in the GT back at Capsule Corp. The gravity simulator was set at 415 times Earth's gravity, and he was again pushing his body to its limits in persuit of his ultimate goal: to become a Super Saiyan. The drones fired off shots at him from every angle, but he always managed to dodge and deflect at the right time. For hours, he kept up a frantic pace, determined to get as strong as possible. Leaping and dodging, blasting and bounding. As he trained, his mind was on his Bulma. He had a new reason to make himself more powerful: he had someone who needed him. Someone who wanted him to be with them. He had his Bulma-Chan.

He decided he should take a break, so he shut down the simulator and left the room, making his way up to the shower. After working out all day, a shower would do him good. He removed his sweat soaked tights and stepped under the lukewarm water. As he showered, he thought again about his little lady. It had been nearly a month since they had first spent time with her, and he wanted to give her something special for their anniversary. But what?

Vegeta stepped out of the shower and toweled off. His thoughts turned to figuring out what he should get Bulma, but he couldn't think of anything off hand. 'I need to get her something special, something she'd hold very dear to her. But what should I get her?' He knew he wanted to keep his relationship with her secret from Kakkarot, but he also knew that he wouldn't be able to figure out what to get her without some help...

Bulma came home from her walk in the woods to find her mother hard at work in the kitchen, cooking dinner for the family and their guest. "Hey mom, what's up?"

"Oh, nothing dear. You're father's been out of town all day doing lordy knows what, and Vegeta's been training hard, as usual, so I thought I'd make myself busy by cooking dinner. Here, try this, tell me what you think..." She held a spoonfull of the concoction she had whipped up to her daughter's mouth, prompting her to take a taste.

"Um, thanks mom, but I think I'll wait till it's ready. I'm sure it's fine, though. Actually, mom, I wanted to ask for your advice on something."

"What's that dear?"

"Well, first of all, you have to promise me you won't tell anyone, especially Goku."

"I don't think that'd be a problem, honey. Now, what's on your mind?"

"Well, you see, there's someone I've been seeing lately, and our aniversary is coming up. I wanted your opinion on what I should get him."

"Oh, my goodness! You have a boyfirend and you haven't even told me? Is it that Yamcha boy again?"

"Oh, HELL no, mom. Yamcha's history. He made his last mistake with me, that's for sure."

"Well, then who is it, honey?"

"Well, I'm not sure how to explain this to you, but..."

"Oh, come on, tell me dear. There's no need to explain anything."

"OK, mom. It's... It's Vegeta."

"Oh dear..." This caught Bulma's mother off guard. She really didn't know what to think. Vegeta? The same Vegeta who only a few years before had come to destroy them all, and was now living in their home, training to defeat the androids? That Vegeta?

"I knew you'ld flip out, mom, but trust me, everything's alright with us."

"Oh dear..."

"Mom?" Bulma waved her hand in front of her mother's face, but she continued to stare off into space, shocked that her daughter was seeing a vicious killer. "Hello, mom?"

"Well, Bulma, if you say it's OK, I suppose it's OK. My goodness, Vegeta..."

"OK, mom, now, what do you think I should get him? I want to get him something special, to remind him of me, but it has to be something that isn't easily seen. You see, Vegeta has this thing about Goku finding out about us. If you ask me, it's his silly Saiyan pride, but if it makes him happy, I'm willing to go along with it."

"Well, I can understand why, Bulma. All he wants is to get stronger than Goku. His pride comes from being one of the only Saiyans left, besides Gohan and his father. And after hearing about what happened to his home planet and his family, his pride is all he has left."

"Yeah, that's it, mom. So, what do you think I should get him?"

They sat and discussed the matter for several minutes, throwing ideas back and forth. Shopping for a Saiyan, especially one with the personality of Vegeta, was going to be difficult, that was for sure. Minutes turned into hours, and the two kept going back and forth with trinkets, clothes, and several other bobbles. This continued untill Vegeta came up from the lab area and into the kitchen. He walked straight up to Bulma's mother.

"Where is Dr. Breif?"

"I think he's over in the Space Research lab."

"Thank you." And with that, Vegeta walked out the door.

Bulma turned to look at her mother, who shared the look of slight shock she had.

"Woah. That was different..."

Dr. Breif was working on his latest space vehicle when Vegeta barged in and came up to him. "I need a spaceship, and I need it now."

"Well, this is a bit of a surprise, Vegeta. I don't know what all's ready to go just yet. Give me a..."

"I'll give you nothing. Just get me a ship. I have something very important to do, and I don't have time to be waiting around while you take care of other matters."

"Well, OK, Vegeta. Let me see what's ready to go on the computer."

"Good. And make it snappy."

Dr. Brief went over to his laptop on his desk and started punching keys, looking for a ready ship for Vegeta. As he typed, he tried to make conversation. "So, what are you going to outer space for, Vegeta?"

"It's really none of your business, old man, but if you must know, I need to get something for your daughter."

"Bulma? Why are you going to get something for her?"

"Ugh, do you need to know my life story, too? Well, I'll tell you, but you must promise me that you won't tell anyone, especially Kakkarot."

"Kakka-who? Oh, oh, you mean Goku. Can't get used to his Saiyan name. But if it makes you happy, I won't tell him."

"Good, cause if you did, I'd be forced to cut your career short." The Saiyan Prince gathered up his pride and spoke. "You're daughter and I have developed a relationship. Soon, it will be a month since we started spending time together. She's sentimental about anniversaries, and I wanted to get her something unique. So I need a ship to go into outer space and get it for her."

"Well, you and Bulma are getting close, eh? Well, that's just fine. Just make sure you don't upset her, Vegeta. Lord knows she's been hurt enough by that Yamcha boy..."

"Don't worry, doctor. I have no intention of upsetting Bulma."

"That's good to hear, Vegeta. Now then, I think I have a ship ready to go that should serve your purpose. It's over in hanger four. She's all yours, Vegeta..." As he turned to look at the Saiyan, he felt a slight breeze. Vegeta was gone, as fast as he had come. The next thing Dr. Breif knew, there was the sound of engines powering up in a nearby hangar, and the booming rush of a liftoff. "My, that boy does work quickly..." He returned to his work, thinking of what Vegeta might find out in the vast reaches of space.

The ship's alarm started to wail, alerting Vegeta that he had reached the coordinates he had programed in on takeoff. "Well, this is it. Kind of strange, really. The last time I was here, I was just a boy..." Vegeta looked out the window of his ship, and saw a vast field of rock, floating in an awkward rotation. The debris field was all that was left of his home planet, Vegeta.

A flood of memories poured into his mind. It seemed like it was only yesterday that he was last here. He thought of his father, of Nappa, and how Freiza took it all away from him. But that was his past, it was all behind him now. He sighed, and set about what he came to do. He manned the controls for the robotic arm, and maneuvered it into a cloud of smaller rocks. He chose one carefully, and moved it to the research airlock, where it was decontaminated pressurized with the atmosphere in the ship.

He opened the airlock from within when the pressuization was completed, and took the rock from it. He held it in his hand. "Strange. Such a tiny piece of my history. It's odd, thinking of what this little chunk of rock meant to me all those years ago. Oh well, it's time to get to work." He set the controls for his return to Earth. Since it would take him the same two hours it took for him to get here, he sat down and looked at the piece of his former home. "Now, what to shape it into. Think, Vegeta, think..."

He mulled it over for a few minutes, and decided he would form it into two intertwined hearts. This would be a fitting gift for her, he knew that for sure...

Bulma lay in her bed, thinking about Vegeta. She wondered where he had gone earlier, he hadn't come back to the house since he left to find her father. At first, she feared that Vegeta had run out on her like Yamcha had, and left her all alone again. But she had quickly given up on that thought. After all, Vegeta had given his word that he would in fact not leave her. But still, she wondered where he had gone.

In her hand, she clutched a small gold neckchain with a miniature Dragonball charm on it, her gift for her Saiyan Prince. She held it up and looked at it. It had one tiny star etched into it, her way of saying that he was the one she wished for. Deep down, she hoped that this would be enough to keep his desire for secrecy intact, while still having something to remind him of her. After some time, she heard someone coming up the stairs, and then heard the door to Vegeta's room open. He was home.

She ran up to her jewelry box and placed the necklace inside, hidden untill the day she would give it to him. After finishing with that, she went over to the door leading to his room, and knocked.

Vegeta quickly hid the necklace with the double heart-shaped piece of his past home in his drawer when he heard Bulma knocking. Satisfied that it would remain out of sight untill he wanted to give it to her, he turned to the door. "Come in, Bulma-Chan."  
  
The door slowly opened, and Bulma stepped into his room. "Hey, Vegeta. Where did you take off to earlier?"

"I... I went out to get some air and think about a few things. I'm sorry I missed dinner, but I had alot on my mind, and didn't want to worry you with it all."

"Oh, that's OK." She walked up to him and gave him a hug and a small kiss on the cheek. "So, how did training go today? I see you didn't overload the GT. In fact, you haven't for a few weeks now. I'm almost starting to think that you're slacking off."

"That's one thing I will never do. The goal of becoming a Super Saiyan is worth too much to me to simply slack off. I assure you, I'm giving it everything I have."

"Well, it's good to hear that you won't give up. Someday, you'll be a Super Saiyan, I'm willing to bet on that for sure."

They sat down on his bed and held each other's hands. Bulma looked at him and smiled. How silly she had been to think that he had left her earlier. As he said, here he was. She quickly pushed any thought of his leaving her out of her mind. Here he was, one of the most ruthless people in the entire universe, and somehow she had managed to tame his wild heart. She was falling in love with him, and quickly.

Vegeta returned her gaze with one of his own. Something had changed inside of him. When he was with her, he no longer felt the need to have absolute power, or even immortality. He was content to be in her presence, to be in her company. This simple Earth girl had somehow filled the void he had inside of him all his life. He didn't know before, but now he was sure. He was falling in love with her, a feeling he had never experienced before.

The day had finally come. It was Vegeta and Bulma's one month aniversary. Today, Vegeta would take his Bulma-Chan somewhere special and give her the trinket he had made for her while he was in outer space. He held it in his hand, looking at it, wondering what she would think of it. "I hope it's enough for her. I hope she sees it as more than just a fancy shaped piece of some deceased world." He sighed, and got up from his bed. "Well, it's time to go."

He walked downstairs to where Bulma was, in the kitchen. "Good morning, Vegeta!" Her mother was in a particularly good mood this morning, for she knew what was going on.

"Humph. Yes, I suppose it is a good morning." Vegeta, though his heart was melted by Bulma, still kept some of his pompus tone around other people. It was his way of letting people know that he was who he was, and everyone had gotten used to it.

"Well, I think I'll go see what my husband is doing. You two enjoy your breakfast! Ta ta!" She skipped out of the room, leaving Vegeta and Bulma there alone.

"Bulma-Chan..."

"Yes, Vegeta?"

"There's somewhere I want to take you later tonight, for our anniversary."

"Sounds like fun! Where are we going to go?"

"Well, I want it to be something of a surprise. Please meet me on your balcony just after dark."

"I wouldn't miss it for the world."

As darkness fell, Bulma went out onto her balcony. The sun was setting in the western sky, and shades of red and violet danced accross the landscape below her. It was turely a beutiful night, and to be sharing a day like this with Vegeta! For years she wished her prince would come for her, and now he was here. He certainly wasn't exactly what she had in mind, but his heart was true enough to her.

In her hand she held the chain with the Dragonball charm, her gift for her beloved Saiyan Prince. She rolled the ball in her hand with her thumb, hoping that she had made the right decision for a gift. Vegeta might blow his top if it was too much, but she had to chance it. She was hoping he'd see that she wanted it to be special. Suddenly, there was a knock on her door. It had to be Vegeta. She turned and called out.

"Come In..." 

But the door didn't open. There wasn't a sound coming from it. "That's odd. Who'd just knock and run off like that?" Bulma took a chill as a strong breeze blew up behind her. She adjusted her overcoat, and turned to look out at the stars again. And there he was.

Vegeta, a soft glow of blue ki surrounding him, was floating level with the balcony. He startled her, and she jumped back just a little, surprised by Vegeta's spontanaity. "Good evening, Bulma-Chan." 

"You know, Vegeta, you have a habit of startling me. We've deffinatly gotta work on that."

"Work on it? You mean I can't have a little fun with you every now and again?" Vegeta had a cocky but genuine smile on his face. "Bulma-Chan, are you ready to go?"

"Yeah, but where are we going? You still haven't told me..."

Vegeta simply held out his hand. She looked at him a little funny, but soon reached out and took his hand. He lifted her into his arms and pulled her close. "Are you ready, Bulma-Chan?"

"As ready as I could ever be." Vegeta took off, but he wasn't going that fast at all. They were rising at a very slow pace, and curving up over the dome of the house. "Vegeta, where are you taking me?" As she was asking, Vegeta was already descending onto the roof of the house. Bulma looked around, and suddenly she remembered. This was the spot where they had spent their first night really getting to know each other. The first night he had opened his heart to anyone his entire life. The first time they had their first moment   
together.

They touched down lightly, and Vegeta let her go. "This was the place where I first felt like I wasn't alone." Vegeta turned and sat down, looking up at the stars just coming out above the horizon, his back to Bulma. "This was the first place I discovered that you had this power over me, to awaken feelings I had thought were long dead within me."

She walked up to him and sat down by his side. She laid her head on his shoulders and brought her hand to his lap, still clutching the pendant tucked away from his view. "I know you don't want anyone finding out about us and the way you feel, but I still wanted to get you something special. I think it's a decent compromise, really, cause it's small and can be tucked under your shirt..."

"Bulma-Chan, whatever it is, I'm sure it is fine..." She nervously opened her hand, revealing the chain curled around the shiny gold Dragonball replica.

"Look. You've always had your wish, to become a Super Saiyan and be immortal and all that. That's sorta why I chose a little Dragonball. I guess it reminded me of my wish. You know, Vegeta, ever since I was a little girl, I wished that a Prince would come for me, that we'd fall in love and live happily ever after. I waited and waited for him. And now, he's here. Vegeta, It reminds me of how you've made my wish come true. That wish I've kept secret all my life. You're the only other one who knows."

Vegeta took the tiny charm from her hand and held it up to look at it. He couldn't help but notice how wonderful it was. The little star in the middle. "It's wonderful, Bulma-Chan." She grabbed the chain and placed it around his neck, locking it behind him, and let it hang down. "Thank you, Bulma." He smiled and gave her a small kiss on the cheek.

"I'm glad you like it. I was all nervous that you'ld say it violates the whole agreement thing, and..."

Vegeta held his finger up to her lips, and she calmed down with a sigh. "I have something for you as well, dear Bulma-Chan. I wanted to give you something that noone on Earth could give you. So I took one of your father's fastest spaceships and flew out into space." He reached out his hand, a fist clenched around the double heart pendant, hiding it. "The coordinates I arrived at were those of my former home planed, Vegeta. Out of the rubble that remained, I found a suitable stone for this..." He opened his hand, and reached up to place the leather cord around her neck. She picked it up and looked with awe.

"This is a piece of my history, a piece of who I am. I shaped it like that to show what you have done for me, Bulma. You have touched my heart. We're millions of miles apart, yet so close together. So different, yet exactly the same. Thank you for showing me this part of life."

She stared at the pendant for some time, and turned her gaze to Vegeta. She was holding a piece of the home planet Freiza had laid to waste, the last remanents of his true home. And he had given this to her. "Vegeta... I don't really know what to say... This is... This has to be so important to you..."

"Yes, Bulma-Chan, it's very important to me. But so are you. That's why I went through the trouble. I think of it as my way of moving on. And having you there to help me make that transition is more than I could have wished for." He reached out to her, took her cheek in his hand and kissed her gently.

"So, that's where you went that day, isn't it. And to think, I actually thought you had left me. I was silly to think that at all."

"Yes, Bulma, you kind of were. But, I said it in our dreams, and I'll say it while we're awake. I will never leave you, Bulma-Chan. Never."

Under the moonlight, Bulma took her Saiyan Prince and held him close to her. He wish had come true. And his had, too, thanks to her. She felt like, for once in her life, the whole world was right. This moment was perfect for the both of them, nothing could ruin it.  
  
  


Far away, in a city south of the Kami House, in an underground laboratory, evil was on its way to being born. There, a strange old man was working like a mad man, boosting energy into his monsterous metal creations. From inside their holding cells, he could see their eyes flicker with life, only to die out. This time, it failed. But he would try again. He must get them perfected if he was to destroy those Saiyans and their allies...

  
That's it for Chapter Three. If you wanna 2nd R, feel free. But remember, there's still more to go! Thanks for the great response, everyone ^.^ Remember to visit the [Home Site][2] for all my FanFiction!

   [1]: http://RanchoRelaxo99.tripod.com/vegetabulma/
   [2]: http://RanchoRelaxo99.tripod.com/lounge/



	4. Getaway

Untitled Document Dragon Ball Z: Unlikely Romance  
A Dragon Bball Z FanFic By Eric Jacobson  
Chapter Four -- Getaway  
[Story Home Site][1] [Eric's Writer's Lounge][2]

Disclaimer: Insert Favorite Humorous Disclaimer Message Here.

The air was begining to take on a slight chill as the breezes blew. Winds picked up a bit, and birds began to fly overhead in droves. The bright green of the leaves was turning pale. Soon, they would change color and fall. All of this could mean only one thing: Summer was coming to and end.

Bulma stood in the front yard, looking at the scenery around her. A summer that had seen her rescued from Garlic Jr. and the Black Water Mist, the end all beat all with Yamcha, and the most surprising thing of all, her relationship with Vegeta. It had all gone by so quickly, it seemed. But now, the sun began to dip lower in the evening sky, and autumn winds were beginning to blow.

She looked around the yard and at the compound. Soon, the green tone of happiness and warmth would give way to a blanket of cold, white snow. 'Good reason to cuddle up to Vegeta' she thought to herself. Chuckeling, she decided to head back into the house. Vegeta would be coming out of the GT for lunch soon. Her parents had gone out for the day, so she thought she'd do something special for her Saiyan beau.

She bustled around the kitchen for an entire hour before she declared success on the meal she had prepared. Just as she lit the candles she had added for that romantic touch, Vegeta appeared in the doorway. He was drenched in sweat, obviously working overtime again. "He he! Hey, Vegeta! Lunch is ready!"

"Good. I'm starving." He looked around to see if anyone else was about. When he was satisfied that they were alone, he loosened up a bit. "You know, at times, I wonder if I'll ever become a Super Saiyan."

"Oh, Vegeta, of course you'll make it. You're working as hard as Goku ever did. You'll get there, I'm sure."

"You don't know how much I hope you're right."

She walked around behind him and put her hand on his shoulder. She got up on her toes to reach his ear, and whispered. "You'll always be my Super Saiyan. Now sit down and eat something."

Hearing that made the proud warrior smile. She always had a way of making him feel better about everything. In their 2 months together, she had become the light of his life, a new reason for him to train to defeat the androids. He had been unable to defend himself or his home planet against Freiza, and now he had something to defend. His Bulma. He made his way over to the table and sat down. Once he had situated himself, Bulma began to baby him with his meal.

"OK, Vegeta, come on, down the hatch!"

"Bulma, what are you doing?"

"Come on, silly. Airplane needs to fly into the hangar!" She began swinging the spoon around through the air. "Pilot to hangar, open up!"

"Bulma...ulp!!" She took advantage of his mistake and shoved the spoon into his mouth.

"Ha ha ha ha! Oh Vegeta!"

He was a little bit angry, but that soon gave way to enjoyment. It was a funny moment. And, for the first time, he laughed at himself. And boy, did he laugh. He and Bulma were nearly rolling on the floor. They came to some time later, and their eyes met. They stared into each other for a time, this was something they did alot as of late. When they were alone, they would share moments like this one. Totally taken by one another, lost in each other's eyes, almost on another astral plane in their own right.

"Are you going to help me eat this, Bulma-Chan, or do I have to make myself look like Kakkarot?"

She looked at him oddly. Like Kakkarot? She knew that he meant Goku, but... Goku, food. And then, it hit her, and she roared with laughter. Yes! He had! Vegeta made a funny! She calmed down after a while, and looked at him adoringly. He was becoming more and more human each day to her. And everything like the Prince of her dreams. And then, she got a naughty idea...

Vegeta was too distracted by her gaze, and didn't expect what came next. His jaw, slack in a smile to his companion, suddenly became full. In surprise he bit down to find a roll of ham protruding from his mouth. He nearly spit it halfway accross the kitchen, and managed to pull the remainder of the meat away from his mouth as Bulma broke out laughing. His surprise turned to a scowl as he chewed his unexpected second course.

"Come on, Vegeta, eat up! Mom and dad will be home soon, and I don't want this place a mess. Mom will have a fit and you know it."

Bulma had just finished washing the dishes when her parents walked into the house. The whole kitchen was a mess from her and Vegeta eating, and playing with, lunch, and she worked overtime to clean it. Vegeta himself had gone back to the GT to continue his training. A little winded from her cleaning, Bulma sat down and sighed.

"He he. Looks like you were working overtime there, Bulma. Do we have some welcome news for you, in that case." Dr. Breif spoke with an upbeat tone. Bulma couldn't quite place why. She knew they had been out all day, but why they seemed this happy was beyond her.

"What's this wonderful news, dad?"

"Your father and I thought we've all been working too hard lately, so we went out and planned a vacation! And even better, we've invited Krillin and his new girlfriend to come with us! Isn't that wonderful? We'll all get to spend some time off and go to the beach, away from all this work and talk of androids and such! Just the six of us!"

"Um, mom, six of us?"

"Well, yes dear! Your father and I, Krillin and his girlfriend, you and Vegeta."

Vegeta? They wanted to bring Vegeta? Bulma couldn't believe it. They wanted to take him on vacation! When Vegeta was around her alone, he was perfectly capable of relaxing and enjoying a moment. But, around everyone else he was still the same Vegeta they all knew: cocky, unmanageable, headstrong and down right rude.

"Why don't you go down and tell Vegeta, dear?"

"Yeah." Bulma was still unsure of what she had just heard, and had a spaced out look on her face. "I'll go down and tell Vegeta. Sure." Any excuse to get away from them was good, even going to give this happy news to the Prince of all Narcisists. She could see it as she got up from the table. She'd tell Vegeta 'Yeah, we're all going on vacation.' and he'd explode with a speach about training to become a Super Saiyan, and not wanting to be around Krillin cause he might find out that she and he were an item. She made her way out of the kitchen.

As she walked down to the training room, Bulma thought the situation over. Maybe vacation time was something they all needed. But how would Vegeta handle it? Her concern was obvious as she gingerly reached out to open the training room door. She walked through and looked at the GT pod. From the dome shaped windows around the side, she could see a deep red glow coming from within. Every now and again, she could see bright flashes of blue and yellow, Vegeta's blasts. He was hard at work as usual.

She walked over to the laptop on the desk her father used to monitor the GTs status. It was set at 420 times Earth's gravity. 'Pushing himself again' she thought. She clicked a few keys, and the simulator's motors began to power down. The lights inside the pods returned to normal. 'Well, here he comes, and he's not gonna be happy.'

The door opened on the GT, and out stepped a sweat soaked Vegeta, obviously angry at having his training session interupted. "This had better be good, Bulma. I'm not very keen on having my training cut off for any reason."

"Vegeta, I need to talk to you about something."

"Well, make it fast, please. I have alot of work to do."

"Alright. Well, my mom and dad went out today, and it turns out that they've gone and planned a week-long vacation for all of us."

"I don't see why that should be any cause for concern."

"Well, she wants you to go, too."

The Saiyan lowered his head, as if considering the notion. After a moment, he raised his head again. "Alright, I could use a break, honestly, and a vacation somewhere sounds rather refreshing."

"But that's not all, Vegeta. They've invited some... Guests."

"Guests? Such as?"

"Krillin and his girlfriend."

"The little bald guy, eh? Well, as long as he doesn't make my business his, I suppose we could all go and get along for a week. Is there anything else you need, Bulma-Chan?"

She was surprised. He hadn't blown up at her, he hadn't really even complained. And he was agreeing to the vacation? Unreal. "Um, no, Vegeta. That's about it. I'll... just... get over to the lab and... work on... something... yeah. See ya later!" She hurried out of the door and accross the hall.

Vegeta looked on with some jest in his heart. She was an interesting female, this was certain. He thought about the coming trip for a second. He hoped that Krillin wouldn't be too much of an annoyance. He chuckled a bit, and headed back into the GT to continue his training.

Nearly a week later, the day came for the Breif family and their 3 guests to leave for their vacation. Bulma was in her room, gathering her things. Vegeta, who had done the same the night before, was hard at work in the GT early. He wanted to get some training in before they were to go. Dr. Breif was with his wife at the supermarket, getting a few snacks and some other food to cook for everyone. Krillin was at the Kame House, waiting for his girlfriend, Mizuki, to arrive. 

"Hey, Krillin! Come over here and have a look at this!" Master Roshi was sitting on his couch as usual, looking through the pages of the gentleman's magazines he was so fond of. "I bet you'ld like to take a girl like that to the beach with ya, eh?"

Krillin walked up behind the couch and looked over Master Roshi's shoulder. His eyes bugged as he looked at the images on the page. "Honestly, yeah, I wouldn't mind. But I'm with Mizuki now, so I really can't be thinking that sorta stuff, ya know."

"Awww, come on, Krillin. This girl Mizuki got you tied to a short leash, eh? Can't have a little fun lookin' over the menu?" For a man his age, Master Roshi had the energy and hormones of someone closer to Krillin's age. Though he was a great martial artist and teacher, he was also one of the biggest old letches in the known universe. He turned the page of the magazine and continued to gawk at the ladies inside.

Krillin shook his head and turned to walk into the kitchen. "Man, I hope she gets here soon. Dr. Brief and his family are expecting us at the Capsule Corp. in two hours, and it's gonna take at least half that to get there. Hey, Oolong!"

Oolong was sitting on the couch next to Master Roshi, quietly playing video games. He paused the game and turned around. "Yeah?"

"Where the heck did you put the cooler, Oolong? I can't find it anywhere, and I need it to keep this soda cold."

"Heck if I know. Last person to use it was Master Roshi yesterday while he was outside."

Master Roshi still had his nose buried in the pages of his magazine, drooling over the women on the inside. Krillin walked up to him and snatched the magazine from him, holding it over his head. "OK, Master Roshi. Take a break and tell me where the cooler is."

"Oh, come on, Krillin, give me back my magazine! I was reading a good article in there on women's health. Give it back, Krillin, give it back!"

"First you tell me where the cooler is. Then you can go back to your article, though I highly doubt that's what you're paying attention to in this thing..."

At that moment, Mizuki came into the house. She saw Krillin holding up Master Roshi's adult magazine, and immediately started berating him. After he got his ear chewed off, Krillin got his things together, and the two got into the car and headed for Capsule Corp.

Dr. Brief and his wife had just returned to the house as Vegeta came up from the GT room. They had armloads of things to take with them on vacation.

"Hey, Vegeta. Could you give us a hand with this stuff? There's more out in the car."

Vegeta looked at Dr. Brief oddly for a moment, and then spoke. "Ugh. I suppose I could assist you." He was reluctant to help out, but since this was going to be a week where he could spend time with Bulma, he decided that it would be a good idea. After all, they were her parents.

After they had brought everything into the house, Vegeta went to his room to get his bags. After he got his things together, he knocked on the door seperating his and Bulma's rooms.

"Come in, Vegeta." She called from behind it.

Vegeta opened the door and stepped in. When he looked at her, he saw that she was wearing a rather skimpy bikini. It showed off her feminine features quite well, and Vegeta felt himself swell with emotion. This was the first time he had seen her without a full outfit, and he was quite stunned.

Bulma noticed him staring at her and blushed. "He he! Guess you haven't seen me in a two-piece before. What do you think? Does it look alright?"

He couldn't speak at first, he was too choked up. After a moment, he regained his composure and finally answered. "Bulma-Chan, it looks... beautiful on you." He wasn't paying attention to the bikini, however. His eyes were rivited to her in general. She was indeed an attractive woman, and Vegeta felt his heart melt as he looked her over.

"So, would you give me a hand with getting my bags downstairs? I have to get some clothes on over this so we can go."

"Uh... Oh. Certainly, Bulma-Chan." He managed to break his staring long enough to focus his attention in her request. As he picked up her bags, Bulma was throwing on a T-shirt and some shorts. The picture of her in that swimsuit had frozen itself in his memory, and it dominated his thoughts as he carried her things downstairs. After he had done so, he returned to his room and retrieved his things.

Bulma met Vegeta halfway down the hall as he was carrying his bags downstairs. She herself had two other bags in her hands. 'These females always seem to take more than they need,' he thought to himself. 'It's so pointless. She'll never use all of this junk in only a week.'

"You know, Vegeta, I hear this island we're going to has a pretty sweet dance club. I think we should check it out. What do you think? Or don't Saiyans dance?"

A dance club? Dancing? Vegeta mulled it over for a moment. Dancing? He had never danced before in his entire life, and wondered what all it entailed. "Well, we'll see when we get there, but I cannot make any promises."

"Good enough for me. Now come on. Mom and dad will want to leave soon. It takes about two hours to get there, or so they tell me. I wonder if Krillin and Mizuki are here yet." The two headed downstairs and into the kitchen. When they got there, Dr. Brief and her mother were packing the food into coolers and picnic baskets. After they had set their bags down, there was a knock at the door.

"Hey hey! Ready to hit the sand and surf, everyone?" Krillin had a huge smile on his face. He was deffinately ready to go to the beach. Mizuki followed him in, equally all smiles.  
  
"Hey you guys! Yep, we're just about ready to go. Just give me a minute to go to the lab and make sure everything's off." Bulma skipped out of the kitchen and down the hall to the basement stairs.

Vegeta pulled Krillin aside and into the living room. "OK, baldy, listen up. Now, don't speak a word of this to anyone, you understand?"

"Sure, Vegeta. What's up?"

"Bulma wants to go to a dance club while we're at this place. And I know nothing about dancing. I'm going to ask you to help me learn a few things about it so I don't make a fool out of myself. Do you think you can handle that?"

Krillin let a small smirk cross his lips. 'So, Vegeta wants me to teach him how to dance. This is funny. I'd better help him, though. Who knows what he'll do to me if I don't.'

"Well? Are you going to help me or not?" Vegeta was looking rather cross now, and it made Krillin squirm a bit.

"OK, Vegeta, I'll show you a few moves. It's the least I can do, I guess."

"Good. And remember, don't speak a word of this to anyone, especially Kakkarot. If he knew about this..."

"I know, Vegeta. Not a word, I promise." The two headed back to the kitchen. Everyone was finished packing, and Bulma had returned from her dummy check of the lab. They all loaded up the car, there was barely enough room to pack everything. But they managed to get it to fit, and took off for the island paradise that awaited them.

  
The trip to the island was the same as any trip the family had taken in the past. Noone spoke much, except for Bulma, of course. Then again, it wasn't possible for her to stop, either. Vegeta sat near the window in the back, staring out at the seascape below him. Krillin was half asleep, as Mizuki massaged his bald head. He loved that sort of thing.

As Vegeta stared out of the window, he caught glimpses of Bulma's reflection in the glass. From time to time, she struck a pose that made him smile slightly, but it was short lived. In all reality, he wanted to be back at the compound training. He felt as if taking a week off to enjoy themselves was a waste of time. But as strong as his urge to train and fight was, the thoughts he had of Bulma kept overpowering it. He allowed himself to daydream a bit, and lost himself in those visions for a little while.

He was brought back to reality after a little while by the reflected image of Mizuki and Krillin, snuggled together in the seat in front of him. 'Look at them. Will Bulma and I become like them? I wonder what she sees in that bald freak, anyway. He's nowhere near as strong as I am. But then again, what if I'm becoming weak like him, allowing my feelings for Bulma to overpower me?' He mulled it over for a little bit, then went back to his daydreaming. 'Honestly, I don't care. Bulma means too much to me. I only wish I could let my pride down long enough to experience it fully...'

"Hey Vegeta. What are you thinking about over there? You're awefully quiet."

He turned to see Bulma smiling at him, as she did so many times before. "Oh, nothing, really. Just looking forward to some time off. I could honestly use the break from all my training."

"Well, it's good to see you're taking it easy for once instead of trying to kill yourself. Don't worry, you'll be having fun and won't even think of fighting, training, or any of that. And I'm going to see to that personally."

He knew in his mind that he didn't want to forget, but seeing her smile at him like that eased his mind out of that thought process. He allowed himself to smile slightly at her. "You're right, Bulma."

"There, see? Now, we'll be there shortly, so try to get yourself in a more relaxed mode. Remember, this trip is all about fun and relaxation." She turned back to the front and continued to babble as he turned back to the window. In the distance he could see the feint outline of an island begin to emerge from the horizon.

About a half hour later, the Brief family and company arrived on the island of Key South. It was a fairly large island set far to the south along the Earth's equator. There was one dominant city along the eastern coast, and a volcano closer to the western coast. The majority of it's surface consisted of dense jungle and remote costal areas, perfect for getting away from the hustle and bustle of the resort areas of the city.

They set up camp along the east coast, a few miles north of the city. After everything was unloaded, they all sat down to discuss their agenda for the day and the remainder of the trip.

"Well, kids. Mrs. Brief and I are going to stay here for the rest of the day, what are you all going to do?" Dr. Brief, his kitten always perched on his shoulder, was setting up the campsite power source close to the treeline, so it would be sheltered from most of the inclimate weather that often pounded the island.

"Krillin and I are going to go for a swim, then we'll probably just stay here, too." Mizuki called out from her hut as she was in the process of getting her swimsuit on. When she emerged, everyone glanced at her. It was a two piece, small and purple with black zeebra stripes. Krillin, much the man that he was, could do nothing but stare and smile dopishly.

"That sounds like fun!" Mrs. Brief was always the happy go lucky type. "What about you, Bulma? Do you and Vegeta have anything planned for the day?"

Bulma was watching Vegeta, who was down the shore line a bit. He was crouched down, looking out over the ocean with a blank stare.

"Bulma?"

Hearing her mother call to her, Bulma turned around. "What mom?"

"I said do you and Vegeta have anything planned for later? Krillin and Mizuki are going swimming, why don't you two join them? Your father and I are just going to stay here for the day and get everything running smoothly."

"Oh. Well, I'm not sure yet. I'll go ask Vegeta. Be back in a bit." With that, she began to walk down the beach, towards the Saiyan still looking out to the vast ocean.

"OK, dear, have fun! Now, where did I put that cooking capsule?"

Bulma walked along the coastline slowly, all the while her gaze focused on Vegeta. He'd gone quite a ways down from where they were camping. As she walked, she thought about what could possibly be on Vegeta's mind. There he was, not more than 200 yards from her, staring off into the distance over the ocean. 'I wonder why he has to do this sort of thing' she thought. 'He's always been a loner, but this is supposed to be his vacation time. The least he could do is put that whole rebel business out of his head for one week.'

She walked on for a few more minutes before finally reaching the spot where her Saiyan Prince was. "Hey, Vegeta. What are you thinking about all the way down here?"

Vegeta broke his gaze and turned to look at her. "Oh, hello, Bulma-Chan. I didn't see you coming."

She sat down next to him and looked out over the ocean. "What brought you the whole way down here, Vegeta?"

"Oh, nothing, really. I guess I just wanted some time to myself, so I came down here and just, well, thought."

She laid her head on his shoulder and sighed. "About what?"

"It's the Andriods, mostly. Whether or not I'll be ready to take them on, and what they'll do to us all if we don't defeat them. What will happen to you..."

This was totally unlike Vegeta, worrying about someone other than himself. In the years since his arrival, he's always been about looking out for number one, the Prince Of All Saiyans, as he'd say. But this time, he was actually thinking of someone else. And to Bulma, it came as no surprise that it was her.

Suddenly, Vegeta arose from his crouched position and looked down at Bulma. "Bulma, please. Come with me." He extended his hand and helped her up from the sand.

"Where are we going, Vegeta?"

He didn't reply. Instead he took her in his arms and lifted off, flying out over the ocean. Bulma had become accustomed to Vegeta's flying, and she just looked down at the water below with awe. She then looked back at him, and smiled. Despite his super strength and violent nature, he'd learned to become quite gentle with her.

Sometime later they landed on a small deserted island. As they touched down, Vegeta released Bulma and took her by the hand. "I saw this small island shortly before we arrived at our destination. I thought it would be perfect if we wanted to be alone for a while, and I wanted to show it to you." He lead her inland, where there was a magnificent pond with a waterfall cascading down from a small mountaintop.

Bulma could only look on in delight. "Vegeta, it's beautiful! I can't believe I didn't see it on the way to the camp site." She ran to the edge of the pond and looked down into it. The water was clear and pure, and she could see her reflection in it perfectly. She reached down and put her hand into it. The water was lukewarm. "This must be a volcanic island. The water is so warm. Probably heated by..."

She was cut off mid sentance by Vegeta's hand, which now rested on her shoulder. She stood up and turned to face him, and placed her arms around him. "You know, Vegeta. Maybe you're not as cold hearted as everyone thinks you are. This place is wonderful." She couldn't wait to come back with him some night soon and just be with him, alone in this miniature Eden he had found.

"We should be getting back, Bulma-Chan. Your parents are probably wondering where we are. And besides, I need to talk to the bald guy. He owes me a small favor. Shall we, my dear?"

Without a word, Bulma attached herself to the mighty Saiyan and they lifted off, heading back to the campsite.

That night, the group gathered around the campfire and started to shoot the breeze. Krillin told stories of their trip to Namek, the battle with the Ginyu Force and Freiza. They, with the exceptions of Bulma and Vegeta, looked on in awe as Krillin spoke. Mizuki seemed especially interested. Never before had she met someone who had been to another planet. Whenever he spoke about Vegeta, she looked over at the Saiyan Prince with wonder. For a normal girl, this was all very wild stuff.

After a while, Vegeta got up without saying a word and went over to where Dr. Brief had set up the small camping huts. He crawled inside his and laid down on his bedroll. He closed his eyes and thought back to Namek. What crossed his mind most was when Frieza had dealt him that final blow, and he poured his heart out to Kakkarot. He replayed the events in his mind over and over again. He thoughts drifted from there to his father, and to how Frieza had stolen himself, Raditz and Nappa away, then destroyed his entire race. 

It seemed like so long ago that he went through the ordeal on Namek. It had been nearly two years since then. He realized how much he had changed in that time. He had gone from heartless Saiyan killing machine, to ally of the Z fighters, to finding his heart and allowing himself to fall in love. Sure, on the outside, he kept his pride intact. But deep down, he knew that he was not the same Prince Vegeta he was when he first came to this tiny rock called Earth.

He had almost drifted off to sleep amidst his thoughts when he heard a knock at the entrance to his little hut. "Come in." he called out quietly. In through the door came his Bulma-Chan.

"What are you doing in here, Vegeta?"

"Oh, nothing really. Just thinking. You know, Bulma-Chan. It's amazing to think what kind of changes I've been through since I first arrived here. And, in large part, I owe that to you."

"How do you mean?"

"Well, all my life I thought I was a destroyer, out to show the universe that I, the Prince of Saiyans, was the strongest fighter anywhere. That noone could match my power, and those who opposed me would fall. And then, I met you. Through you, I found that deep within my angry soul there was something else, something that made me realize my true feelings."

"All that because of me?"

"Yes, in part, as I said. Seeing how Kakkarot always looked out for his friends. I always saw it as a weakness. But now I see that it's much different. Because I have you to look out for, it gives me a new purpose. Preparing for these Androids, if they ever come. I'm doing it because I don't want anything to happen to you."

"Vegeta..." She crawled over and laid down next to him, snuggeling close to his muscular body. "Knowing that puts a new spin on things. Sure, you're brash and cocky. But since these changes have started in you, I don't feel as afraid as I did when that guy first told us about these things."

Vegeta pulled her in close to him and gave her a small kiss on her forehead. "I won't let anything happen to you, Bulma-Chan. You mean too much to me."

Bulma was growing accustomed to Vegeta's newfound sensitivity. Each time he showed emotion like this, she was less and less shocked. She thought about how lucky she was to be the only one who noticed this change in him. Wouldn't the others flip out if they knew that Vegeta had a soft side to him. She smiled and allowed herself to let out a small chuckle at the thought.

It was late, and the others had gone off to sleep. Vegeta and Bulma just laid there for a little while, enjoying the quiet moment together. Around them, wildlife was making it's usual symphony, adding to the atmosphere. Slowly, they both drifted off to sleep...

Bulma awoke sometime later. A noise from the forest nearby had jostled her from the wonderful dream she was having. She listened for a moment, and heard it again. There was a rustling sound coming from the woods, alright. "Hey, Vegeta..." She shook the Saiyan a little bit, hoping to wake him up without setting him off. "Vegeta, wake up."  
  
Vegeta slowly opened his eyes as Bulma shook him. "Wha... What is it, Bulma?" He was groggy, but awake none the less.

"Vegeta, there's something outside in the woods. I'm scared."

He listened, and then heard what made Bulma so frightened. It was moving around just outside the camp site in the trees. And whatever it was, it was certainly large. "If it will make you feel better, Bulma-Chan, I'll go check it out. Then we can both get back to sleep."

"Alright. But be careful, Vegeta. Who knows what the heck that thing could be."

"Don't worry, Bulma-Chan. Whatever it is, I'm sure that it'd be no match for the Prince of Saiyans." He laughed a bit, making light of his attitude to try and cheer her up. She was always getting upset over what he thought were trifles. He did his best to calm her down and get her to smile again.

Vegeta opened the door to the hut and crawled out into the open. He heard the rustling again, and stood perfectly still. He was trying to determine where exactly it was coming from. He closed his eyes and listened carefully. And he heard it again. He turned in the direction of the noise, opened his eyes and smiled his usual sadistic smile. "So that's where you are. Well, it's time for you to move so some of us can get some sleep around here."

He walked over to the spot where the sound was coming from. He tried to be as quiet as possible so as not to scare it off, so he could confirm what it was. That would help him calm Bulma down when he got back to the hut. As he neared the source of the noise, he noticed the bushes at the tree line shaking slightly. "Come to daddy, you little neusance."

The bushes began to shake violently now, and Vegeta stood ready to take out whatever was coming out of them. In an instant, it happened. A small boar jumped from out of the underbrush, starteling Vegeta and causing him to fall backwards in shock. The little wild pig squealed in fright as it ran as fast as it's little legs could carry it.

Vegeta, lying on his back, looked on as the animal headed for the hills. He laughed after a moment. The Prince of Saiyans, put down in a flash by a tiny little pig. He picked himself up off the ground and headed back to his hut to tell Bulma what he had found.

In the underbrush not far away, a solitary being watched Vegeta as he walked back to his encampment. "Enjoy your little holiday while it lasts, Saiyan. It's going to be your last..."

  
That's it for Chapter Four. If you wanna 2nd R, feel free. But remember, there's still more to go! Thanks for the great response, everyone ^.^ Remember to visit the [Home Site][2] for all my FanFiction!

   [1]: http://RanchoRelaxo99.tripod.com/vegetabulma/
   [2]: http://RanchoRelaxo99.tripod.com/lounge/



	5. Summer Nights

Untitled Document Dragon Ball Z: Unlikely Romance  
A Dragon Bball Z FanFic By Eric Jacobson  
Chapter Five -- Summer Nights  
[Story Home Site][1] [Eric's Writer's Lounge][2]

Disclaimer: No rights inferred. So There. :P

Morning came to the remote resort island, birds came to life and began singing their happy songs as the world awoke. The surf, at low tide, rolled softly to the sand and crashed gently on the shore. All of this was enough to wake Bulma from her slumber. She yawned quietly and looked down at the Saiyan Prince next to her, still asleep. She smiled. Vegeta was so peaceful looking when he was asleep, the exact opposite of how he was when he was awake.

"Hey, Vegeta. Come on, sleepy head, wake up! It's morning. Come on, Vegeta, get up!" Vegeta stirred a bit, unwilling to wake up. "Oh, if it isn't one thing with him, it's another. Always the rouge, I guess." She shook him a little, trying to get him up. He finally opened his eyes after a few moments.

"Wha... what? Oh, Bulma-Chan." Any other time, if he had been bothered, he would have devestated whoever disturbed him, or at least given them a huge scare. But Bulma was a different story. "Is it morning already?"

"Duh, Vegeta. Of course it is. Now come on, get out of bed. We have alot to do today."

"Alot to do? I thought this was supposed to be a vacation."

"It is, silly. we're going to go into town in a little while. I want to see what all this place has as far as stores and stuff, plus we'll get to see the night club we'll be going to tomorrow night. Now come on, lazy boy. Get up!"

Vegeta sat up looking a little annoyed. But that soon gave way to amusement as he looked at the smile on Bulma's face. "Alright. I'm getting up. But before we go anywhere, I'd like to go for a swim and get something to eat."

"No problem. You go ahead and hit the water, and I'll cook you up something fit for a Prince."

Bulma crawled out of the hut and went to get started on something to eat. Vegeta threw on some shorts and a tank top, left the hut and headed down to the beach. When he got there, he looked out over the water. "I never thought something this quiet and peaceful could get my attention. Oh well." With that, he ran out into the surf and dove head first into the water.

He had swam out some distance, enjoying the water on his tired body. He had been training for such a long time without a break, and taking the time off was doing him good. Taking a deep breath, he dove under the surface to explore the aquatic world below. Nearing the bottom, he saw that the ocean floor was teeming with life. Coral grew out from rock outcroppings, and within them swam numerous types of tropical fish and other sea going creatures. A crab went running by, snapping its claws as it went. Vegeta smiled. 'Isn't this interesting. I wonder if these creatures have any clue as to what could happen to them when those Androids arrive...'

Surfacing again, Vegeta came up just as a wave was forming. He had seen Krillin doing something he called body surfing the day before, and thought he himself would try it. As the wave began to swell closer, Vegeta turned himself towards the shoreline and straightened his body. The wave caught him and carried him forward at a rate that surprised the Saiyan. 'The water holds tremendous power, more than I give it credit for. So this is how Kakkarot gets his energy for that Spirit Bomb of his. He gathers it from all these things.' His thoughts trailed off as the wave carried him faster and faster...

Vegeta lifted his head and looked towards the shore, which was growing closer and closer each second. A rush came over him as his speed increased, and he let out a large cry that could have been heard for miles had it not been garbled by the rushing water churning around him. He continued his bellowing scream as he reached the shore line and came to a screeching halt in the sand. When he finally stopped screaming, he rolled over on his back and started laughing uncontrolably. Never before had he had so much fun while not   
destroying anything.

Bulma ran up to him. She had heard him screaming and wanted to know what was going on. "Hey, Vegeta, are you alright? What the heck were you screaming for?" The mighty Saiyan continued to laugh his head off, unaware that she was standing over him. "Vegeta? Hey, are you going to answer me? What the heck is so funny? VEGETA!"

His laugh subsided enough for him to open his eyes and see his beloved lady standing over him, looking at him with a puzzled gaze. He caught his breath for a moment, chuckeling lightly. And then, a slightly evil thought crossed his mind. He reached up and grabbed Bulma's arm.

"Vegeta? What the... Ooooh!" He pulled her down on top of him, and began rolling in the sand with her, laughing the whole time. When they finally stopped, Bulma looked at him crossly. "What in the heck are you doing, Vegeta? What'd you do that for?" She looked at him lying there next to her, laughing, and began to laugh herself. After a moment, they stopped laughing and just stayed there, together on the sand.

"Bulma-Chan, I really want to thank you for bringing me with you. This time away from training is something that I've needed for a long time."

"Oh, Vegeta. We couldn't just leave you at home. You would have gone nuts! I mean, you would have broken the trainer, and noone would have been there to fix it for you. Then you would have destroyed the entire compound or something."

The Saiyan Prince thought for a second. She was probably right. His temper always had a short fuse. He would have gone on a rampage, that or tracked Bulma down and drug her back to fix what he had broken. "But I'm not there. I'm not angry because something has interrupted my training. I'm here, with you, and I'm actually enjoying myself for the first time in my life. Thank you, Bulma-Chan."

"Well, you're very wel..." She never got to finish her sentance. Vegeta pulled her in close and gave her a wonderful kiss. She was always stunned when he kissed her like this. It was as if she were in some alternate universe, alone with her Prince. She lived for these moments, since she had never felt like this with that moron, Yamcha.

When it was over, Vegeta smiled at his little lady. "I think I've had enough fun for right now, Bulma-Chan. Let's get back to camp and get something to eat. What do you think?"

"Good idea. Your food's almost ready anyway." Vegeta got to his feet first, and helped her up. Hand in hand, the walked back to the camp site, smiling the whole way.

They finished eating some time later and began to get ready to head into town. Dr. and Mrs. Brief were going to stay behind so the good doctor could do some fishing in the nearby river, and the Mrs. could just enjoy some sun. Bulma got her things together quite quickly for once, and she and Mizuki headed for the restroom hut to do up their faces.

Vegeta stood with Krillin by the car. "You know, Vegeta, time and again I ask myself why women go through that whole makeup ritual. What do you think?"

The Saiyan seemed to pay Krillin no mind. He was leaning against the car, his head down and his eyes closed as if he were deep in thought.

"Vegeta? You awake over there?"

"No, Krillin. I do not understand why these females go through that whole process. It's a waste of time, if you ask me. I honestly believe that it's a good thing we warriors don't have to go through that phase. What's the point of it all?"

"Oh, you know women, Vegeta. They always gotta look their best when they go out. For some reason, they think that the look horrible otherwise. I don't know why. I think Mizuki looks great no matter what."

"Sometimes, Krillin, I'm inclined to agree on that point."

Krillin was taken aback by that statement. Vegeta? Thinking that women looked good sometimes? What was up with that? 'I wonder what's going on in that overinflated head of his. It's not like him to worry about much more than training and combat.' A droplet of sweat ran down his brow as he looked with enigmatic wonder at Vegeta.

"Hey. Here they come. It's about time."

Vegeta opened his eyes to see Bulma and Mizuki walking towards them. And then, it caught his eye. For some reason, Bulma was looking exceptionally lovely, and it struck the Saiyan warrior with awe. His heart swelled and began to beat faster and faster as she neared. So THIS was what the makeup ritual was for. He had to admit, he did like the results.

"Hey. Are you guys ready to go?" Mizuki called out to them as they grew near to the car.

"Yeah. You girls sure do take your time with that makeup. But it looks great. Now come on, the city awaits!" Krillin opened the door for Mizuki and she climbed into the back seat, with him right behind her. Vegeta just stood where he was, still disarmed by the way Bulma looked. She opened the driver's side door and looked over to him.

"Hey, Vegeta. Are you going to just stand there, or are you gonna get in the car with the rest of us? He he he!" Vegeta jumped a bit, and realized what he was doing. Without saying a word, he opened his door and got into his seat. "Alright. Buckle up, everybody! Here we go!" Bulma started the engine and slammed on the gas, giving everybody a jolt of G forces as they took off for the lights of Aloha City.

It was a relatively short trip to Aloha City, compared to their two hour marathon to the island itself. When they arrived, they found a garage and parked the car. After locking up making sure everything was in order, they set out to see the sights of the resort Mecca. Huge theme hotels towered above the 6 lane strip that dominated the center of town. As they walked along, the girls window shopped at the many fancy stores.

"Hey Bulma! Would you look at that dress there? That's soooooo beautiful!" Mizuki was looking into a boutique that specialized in exotic dresses. Bulma ran up to the window and peered in. "What I wouldn't give to have that dress."

"Wow. It is pretty cool looking, Mizuki." Bulma wasn't really looking at the dress her counterpart was. She was fixated on a dress behind it. It was blue faded into purple with cequins spiraling down from the neckline to the hemline, sleeveless and ending at the knees. She pictured herself wearing it, dancing with Vegeta all night long.

"Oh brother. I'll tell you, Vegeta, when women get into this mode, it's hard to get them out." Krillin and Vegeta were leaning against a lamp post as the girls gawked at window after window nearby. "Do you think we should actually take them into a store and get them something so they stop doing all this window shopping? If we don't, we might not get anywhere anytime soon."

Vegeta was watching Bulma as she admired the dress. He knew she had her heart set on it. Then and there, he made the decision. "I think you're right, Krillin. Let's take them inside this store. That should make them quite happy."

"Now you're talking. Hey girls! You like those dresses alot, do ya?"

Mizuki called back to him without turning around. "Oh, you just don't know, Krillin!" Next to her, Bulma said nothing. She was still staring at that dress.

"Well, let's see what we can do about this. Come on, Vegeta." With that, Krillin and Vegeta took the girls into the dress shop to browse.

Once inside, the girls immediately took off to see their respective dresses. Krillin and Vegeta stayed off to the side, watching with some amusement as Bulma and Mizuki went ga-ga. Krillin leaned over to the Saiyan and spoke. "What do you think we should do, Vegeta? Should we get them the dresses or just let them shop?"

Vegeta, ever the plotting spirit, formulated a wonderful plan. "I don't know about you, baldie, but I plan on not crushing Bulma's dream. I've done enough of that already, it's time I did something... right... for a change."

Krillin's eyes grew wide with astonishment. Right? A change? Something was deffinately happening to Vegeta, that was for sure. But what was triggering it? What made Vegeta tone himself down like this? Was it Bulma? Was it just being stuck on Earth for so long after the Namek ordeal? He couldn't be completely sure. But he was sure that this was a somewhat different Vegeta he was dealing with.

Meanwhile, Vegeta made his way to the counter where the clerk was reading a soap opera magazine. "Excuse me."

"Can I help you, sir?" The clerk did not look up from her reading, and this angered Vegeta a bit. But he managed to keep it in check.

"Yes. I would like to purchase that dress that the young woman over there is looking at. But I need your assistance in keeping it hush hush, so please, pay attention."

The clerk, sensing the menace in Vegeta's voice, looked up from her reading and listened intently as the Saiyan explained his plan to her.

Bulma ran her hand down the length of the dress. The fabric was so wonderful, almost silk like in a way. The cequins caught the ambient lighting in the store perfectly and shimmered brightly. She dreamed of a night on the town with Vegeta, her wearing this dress. How happy he'd be, she thought. She was sure that he'd love to see her in this dress. It was near perfection.

Suddenly, she was interrupted by the clerk coming over to her. "I'm sorry miss, but this dress has just been sold. I'll have to take it into the back and have it wrapped."

"Oh, that's OK." Bulma felt her heart sink a little bit. "Do you have another one like it?"

"I'm sorry, miss, not at the moment. We should have another one in about a week or so. They're hand made, so each is one of a kind and takes a while to make. Again, I'm very sorry, miss."

Bulma was heartbroken. "That's OK. I guess I'll have to settle on another one." She sulked for a little bit, and walked over to Mizuki.

"Hey Bulma! What do you think?" She held the dress up to her body, half modeling it for her friend. "Do you think Krillin will like it?"

Half dejected, Bulma looked it over. "I'm sure he'll like it on you, Mizuki."

"Hey, you don't sound too happy there, kiddo. What's wrong?"

"You know that dress I had my eyes on? Someone just bought it, and it'll be a week before they get another one in. By that time, we'll be back home, and there's no way I'll have it for the club tomorrow night."

"Oh, that's terrible. I'm sure there's something else here that suits your fancy. Have you looked around?"

"No, I really wanted that one. I'll just wear something I brought with me, I guess." Bulma looked around the store and noticed that the guys were no longer inside. "Where did the boys go? They were just here a few minutes ago."

"Maybe they went outside. Let me go pay for this dress and we'll go out and check."

Indeed, Vegeta and Krillin were outside, leaning against the same lamp post they had been before entering the little dress shop. The girls were still inside yet, and they were taking the time to chat for a bit.

"So, Vegeta. What'd you do with that? How'd you get it out of there without Bulma seeing you?"

"It was quite simple, really. Once the clerk packaged up the dress, I took it out the back door and flew back to the car to hide it in the trunk. Now all I have to do is wait until tomorrow night before we go to this dancing place and surprise her with it."

"Wow, Vegeta. I honestly didn't think you had it in ya. You know, you're always full of surprises. But hey, it's a good thing."

Vegeta just looked at Krillin when he said that, but decided not to say anything. He just smiled and nodded. Slowly, he was learning to contain his temper. And besides, he was beginning to enjoy his time on Earth. It was becoming a second home to him.

At that moment, the girls came out of the dress shop to find the boys leaning against the lamp post. Mizuki was carrying a box, she had bought the dress she was admiring when they first stopped at the window. Bulma, on the other hand, came out looking rather sad.  
  
Krillin, playing along to conseal Vegeta' surprise, approached Bulma. "Why you looking so glum?"

"Oh, it's nothing important, Krillin. Let's just keep on going down the strip. We should be coming up on that night club pretty soon, and I still want to check that out." With that, the quartet began to walk down the sidewalk again.

Further down the street, the intrepid foursome came accross a square with several different eateries, and decided to visit the small Italian restaraunt on the northeast corner. They sat down and ordered, and to everyone's surprise, Vegeta ended up eating what looked to be his weight in angel hair pasta, smothered in a rich tomato sauce. After they had finished their meal, the continued past the square about two blocks before they finally came to the dance club which was to be the next night's destination.

Vegeta looked up at the marquee that framed the club's name. Club Zero. Though they were off, the neon lights of the sign were clearly blue. The club was arctic themed, this much was obvious. He thought of how the inside might look, and it struck his fancy. 'This place looks rather interesting. So this is what these humans do for entertainment. They create places to gather with a theme of some sort. Very interesting indeed.' Long ago he had resolved to study the humans while he was stuck here, so he could fit in without drawing much attention to himself.

Bulma stood in awe of the club. She'd been to many dance clubs with Yamcha and other boyfriends she had over the years, but never to a place like this. It had three floors that were visible from the outside, the second of which had a balcony. Bulma could just picture how it would be the following night. Her and Vegeta, alone on the balcony, looking out over the strip in each other's arms. She couldn't wait.

"Wow! This place looks pretty hip! I can't wait to get inside it and see how it looks in there! I'll bet it's the sweetest club on the planet." Krillin sounded very excited. In his years of training with Master Roshi, he had never really had the time to actually just be young and do what young people do. Sure, he got his moments in the sun where he had his fun, but he wasn't getting any younger and wanted to have some serious fun.

Mizuki went to the front door to check out the posted business hours. "Well, guys, this place opens at 8 and stayes open till 3am. What time do you all think we should get here?"

"I think we should show up fashionably late, Mizuki, around 9 or so. That should give us plenty of time to get ready, then plenty of time to enjoy ourselves." Bulma was still picturing what might happen in her mind. Her heart was set on having a fun, magical night on the town with Vegeta. She knew she could never tell Krillin and Mizuki, but it still filled her mind with wonder and happiness. Would Vegeta play the role of dashing date she hoped he would? In 24 hours, she would know for sure. "What do you guys think?

Of course, Vegeta said nothing. But Krillin chimed in with his opinion. "Sounds good to me, Bulma. So anyway, shall we continue? There's alot more of Aloha City we haven't seen yet."

"Good idea, Krillin." Mizuki took his arm and together they walked down the street. Bulma and Vegeta stayed behind for a moment. Bulma was still pretty much lost in her thoughts, and Vegeta walked up behind her, putting his arms around her. She jumped a little, but almost immediately calmed down."

"Come on, Bulma-Chan. Krillin and Mizuki aren't going to wait for us forever, you know."

"I know. I'm just thinking about tomorrow night, picturing how it might be. I've never been to a place like this before, and with you, that adds a whole other dimension to the idea."

"Well, I promise you that you'll have a wonderful time. Now let's get going before we lose them." With that, they walked after Krillin and Mizuki, heading further down the street to see the sights of Aloha City...

Dr. and Mrs. Breif were sitting along the shore in their beach chairs, watching the tide roll out as they drank glasses of champagne. This was one of the few moments they had alone together, especially since Vegeta had decided to grace their lives with his presence. Things had been so hectic and frantic since the news of the Androids hit home, and they had looked forward to this moment when they could relax.

"You know dear, the kids should be getting home from the city soon. We really should get started on dinner sometime soon." Dr. Breif reached up to his shoulder and gave a loving pat on the head to his ever present kitty.

"Oh, yes, I know, honey. But they're young, and the city has the pace of life that they're more accustomed to. I wouldn't be surprised if they decided to stay and see what's what. You know how kids are."

"Yes, dear, I do. After all, I was a kid once. He he. And so were you. And then we ended up raising a daughter, not to mention one that was full of energy. Heck, she still is even though she's almost all grown up. You know, pretty soon, she'll be having kids of her own, that is if she ever finds a decent man that will stick with her long enough. Heaven knows that Yamcha can't seem to sit still."

They sat for about another half hour, talking and enjoying the quiet time they had together. They knew they'd have another moment like this the next night, since the kids were going back to the city to go dancing. After a little while, they heard the car pull up and come to a screching halt.

"Looks like Bulma was driving again." Mrs. Breif dreaded the thought of her daughter driving, she was always such a speed demon.

"Yep. No doubt about that. Let's get to work on dinner, dear."

After dinner, everyone went down to the beach to play Volleyball. Everyone, that is, except for Vegeta. He just sat off to the side, watching and humphing in his usual manner. He never did like to join in when the others were doing something fun. It was against his calling as a warrior. This time he felt a little different about it, since he was on vacation from his training. But still he sat.

Krillin dug in for a set, and popped the ball into the air. Mizuki ran underneath and lept to spike it. She struck the ball with surprising force, but Bulma reacted quickly. She dove for the save, and sent the ball straight up. Mrs. Breif, her teammate this game, ran over to hit it.

"Oh my goodness! Here goes nothing." She was always flustered in these situations. She ended up hitting the ball at an odd angle, and it flew off and knocked Vegeta in the head. "Oh dear, I'm sooooo sorry, Vegeta. It was an accident."

Vegeta looked over at them, obviously infuriated. But then he looked at Bulma, who was obviously upset and worried he might explode. He picked up the ball and looked at it.  
  
Bulma ran over to retrieve the ball. "Mom's sorry, Vegeta. She's just not very good at this sort of thing, sports and all. Please don't go crazy on her."

Vegeta was still looking at the ball. "Don't worry, Bulma-Chan. I have no intention of ruining your game. Besides, there's no way a little ball like this could hurt me all that much. Here." He threw the ball to Bulma, who caught it. "Now go and enjoy your game."

"Well why don't you come join us, Vegeta? You won't know if you'll have any fun unless you get up and actually try."

He mulled it over for a moment. He'd been watching them play, and had gotten the basic idea, but he still wasn't sure. "I don't know, Bulma-Chan. I don't fully understand the game, and I might end up making a total fool of myself. That, I can't allow at all.

Bulma knelt down next to him. "Oh, come on, Vegeta. It's not that hard at all. Now, look The idea of the game is to get the ball over the net and hit the ground on the other side. Got it? There are three ways you can hit the ball..."

Krillin walked over to Mizuki, staring at Bulma and Vegeta the whole time. "What do you think they're talking about over there? She's holding up the game."

"Don't look at me. They're your friends."

"Well, Bulma's my friend, but Vegeta? You never really can tell about that guy. Lately he's been as bipolar as a battery. One minute he's charged and ready to destroy whatever gets in his way, the next it seems like Bulma's got him tamed like a kitten. I don't really get what's gotten into him."

"Yeah. I can tell. From what you told me about Vegeta, I expected him to be a big pain in the ass. But the whole trip he's been halfway tollerable."

"I know. I wonder if something's wrong with him..."

"Think you've got it, Vegeta?" Bulma looked at him with a smile, hoping she'd explained the game to him well enough to get him to play.

"I.. I think so, Bulma-Chan. But I still don't know if I should..."

"Oh, for pete's sake, Vegeta. Just let go and come have some fun with us!"

Vegeta gave it one last thought, and made his decision. "Alright, Bulma-Chan. I'll come play. But if I make a fool of myself, it's not my fault."

"Great! Now calm down. Noone's going to care if you mess up. It's just a game! And one last thing, Mr. Prince Of Saiyan Warriors. Try to cut back on that monsterous strength of yours when you hit the ball. We don't need you taking anyone's head off."

She held out her hand to help Vegeta up, and he took it. She drug him behind her as she ran back to the Volleyball court. Mrs. Breif decided to join her husband back at the campsite and see what he was working on, so Vegeta took her place. From there, the game went on.

Later that afternoon, Vegeta had gone for a walk down the shoreline, Mizuki and Krillin were building a campfire, and Dr. and Mrs. Breif had sat down near the fire pit awaiting the fire's warmth. Bulma lay on her bedroll inside her hut, smiling. She was thinking of all the fun she had earlier that day, playing Volleyball with Vegeta. He'd taken to the game rather well, and to her surprise didn't decapitate anyone when he spiked the ball. She giggled a bit when she thought of how Vegeta had planted himself head first in the sand like an ostrich while diving to make a save. He saved the ball, alright, but it took her and Krillin both to get him out after the play was over. When they finally got him out, he actuallt doubled over with laughter at his own folly. Then, as now, it made Bulma smile to see him like that.

She rolled up onto her side and slid her arm underneath the pillow to get comfortable. When she did, she found a piece of folded paper underneath. Intrigued she pulled the letter out and read it.

"My dearest Bulma-Chan. I would like very much for you to meet me at the cove we found the other day while we were waliking down the beach. I have the first of two surprises to give to you. Please try to be there before the sun sets. Your Prince Vegeta."

"Before the sun sets? I wonder where it is now?" She looked down at her watch, which read 5:30. She poked her head out of the hut to see the sun hanging low in the afternoon sky. "Well, I'm not too late, but I'd better hurry. These summer days get shorter and shorter. She gathered her things up, put on her shoes and grabbed a coat. Knowing Vegeta and his surprises, it would last well after sunset. She left the hut and started down the beach to the cove.

When she arrived there, she couldn't see Vegeta anywhere. "Vegeta?" She called after him again. "Vegeta, where are you? Come on, you drug me out here, now where are you hiding at?" She turned around, looking for him, but couldn't find him anywhere. Suddenly, she felt a warm breeze blow from behind her. "Vegeta?" Before she could turn around, she felt two arms wrap themselves around her waist, and she was being lifted off the ground.

She turned her head to see Vegeta, smiling at her as he took her up into the air. "There you are, you lunk head. Did you have to startle me like that?"

"Relax, Bulma-Chan. You know I'd never hurt you. Now hang on, your first surprise is just beginning." When they had reached a decent height, Vegeta shot forward, out over the ocean.

"Where are we going, Vegeta?"

Vegeta remained silent and just smiled. How could he tell her if he intended to keep it a surprise? He flew on for some time, untill he reached their destination. Bulma looked down and recognized the tiny island they had come to the evening before. Slowly, Vegeta began to descend until he came to a soft landing on top of the waterfall's cliff.

Bulma let go of him and walked around to have a look. Below her she saw the small lake that the falls poured into. On the other side, she looked down to see the canopy of a small costal forest, and just beyond it a tiny beach. 

"Why did you bring me up here? What's this all about, Vegeta?"

"Come now, Bulma-Chan. If I told you, how much of a surprise would it be? Now, close your eyes."

"What? You want me to close my eyes? I'm nervous enough up here as it is, and now you want me to..."

Vegeta put his finger up to her lips. "Shhh. Just close your eyes. Trust me, I will not let any harm come to you."

Bulma simply nodded, and closed her eyes.

The Saiyan Prince took out a small blind fold and put it over Bulma's eyes.

"Vegeta? What's this all about? I can't see a thing! Vegeta?"

"Just give it a few minutes more, Bulma-Chan. Then you can take off the blind fold and see the start of tonight's surprise."

She complained about being up so high and being blindfolded for the next few minutes, and Vegeta simply stood and chuckled. When it was time, he walked up behind her and removed the blindfold.

"Open your eyes, Bulma-Chan. It's time."

Bulma opened her eyes, and what she saw nearly took her breath away. At the height they were at, she could see over the entire ocean. The sun was now a large orange semicircle extending about the horizon, casting an orangish-red glow over everything it surveyed. It's reflection rippled in the ocean's surface. "Vegeta, this.. this is beautiful..."

They sat down next to each other and faced the glorious palette of reds, yellows, oranges, purples and blues. Bulma laid her head on Vegeta's shoulder and sighed. "This really is a surprise, Vegeta. I never knew a view like this existed."

"It's not over yet, Bulma-Chan. Part two of tonight's surprise is yet to come. Do you see that small beach down there?" Vegeta pointed over the edge down to the forest canopy.

"Yes. What about it?"

"I've brought a small tent and some bed rolls, if you would like, we can spent the night here on the island, under the stars. I've made sure there are no creatures around to startle you like they did last night. He he."

Bulma blushed, remembering the events of the night before. "Very funny Vegeta. But it sounds wondeful. I'd love to spend the night here with you. Is that the second surprise?"

"Oh, no, Bulma-Chan. I've saved that for tomorrow night before we leave. I promise that it will make your night very memorable."

Bulma sighed and leaned back into her Saiyan Prince. Together, they sat watching the sunset. They couldn't have asked for a more perfect moment. As the sky slowly faded from it's colorful evening hues to black pierced with the light of the moon and stars, they talked about things. They laughed about the day's volleyball game, and even joked about the coming Android menace. They were in good spirits all around.

Later on that night, they flew down the side of the cliff to where Vegeta had placed the spare tent. He had already gone through the trouble of setting it up and getting everything else ready earlier, so they simply curled up inside a bedroll and looked up at the sky. The stars above them twinkled brightly. Bulma wondered how much longer she would see them like this, with the Androids coming the future was looking grim. But Vegeta reassured her that she would have many more nights like this.

The sound of the rolling surf soon lulled the pair off to sleep...

  
That's it for Chapter Five. If you wanna 2nd R, feel free. But remember, there's still a bit more to go! Thanks for the great response, everyone ^.^ Remember to visit the [Home Site][2] for all my FanFiction!

   [1]: http://RanchoRelaxo99.tripod.com/vegetabulma/
   [2]: http://RanchoRelaxo99.tripod.com/lounge/



	6. Club Zero

Untitled Document Dragon Ball Z: Unlikely Romance  
A Dragon Bball Z FanFic By Eric Jacobson  
Chapter Five -- Summer Nights  
[Story Home Site][1] [Eric's Writer's Lounge][2]

Disclaimer: You know how it goes. I wish I owned a stake in DBZ, but sadly, I don't. I'm not making any cash off this, so back off, Marcia Clark!!! My name ain't OJ...

Big up to Sjoerd Wiersma, my biggest fan in Holland, for beta reading part of this chapter. This one's for you, man ^_^.

Vegeta awoke to find himself and his companion, Bulma, shrouded in a thick fog. He rubbed his eyes and looked around. He could barely see more than five feet in front of him, the fog was like pea soup. That, or one of those stews that Kakkarot's wife was fond of making for him. He stood up, careful not to disturb Bulma's slumber, and walked down to the shore line. He looked out over the ocean, but could only make out the feint disc that was the sun. Something was amiss, and he could sense it.

He walked back to the small encampment he had made the night before, and began to build a fire ring with stones he found nearby. He then made his way into the woods to gather up some fire wood. When he returned, he got down to the business of building a campfire. It was chilly, and he didn't want Bulma being cold when she woke up.

'I don't like the look of things' he thought to himself. 'This fog must be some sort of omen. I don't know why I feel that way, but I can't help it. I have a horrible feeling that something is going to happen. Something bad, and unfortunately, soon.' He poked at the small fire he had gotten lit after powering up his ki and holding a small bit of energy up to the brush he had collected. It was burning a bit better now, and he added some larger branches and logs to it as it grew.

"Vegeta?"

He turned around to see Bulma sitting up, rubbing her eyes and yawning as she rejoined the waking world. "Good morning, sleepy head. Nice of you to join the rest of the world, even though you cannot see much of it at the moment."

She crawled out of the bedroll and walked over to the fire ring, sitting herself down next to Vegeta and wrapping her arms around his own left arm, laying her head on his shoulder. "Where did this fog come from? The weather report before we left said that it'd be beautiful all week. This is really weird."

Vegeta said nothing. He just looked down into the flames of the fire he had built. Somehow, he knew that something wasn't right. He didn't want to alarm Bulma, though. She knew how he could be with his premonitions, unless he was being his usual self when in battle. But at other times, he was right on for the most part.

No matter how he tried to hide it, though, he couldn't escape her watchful eye. She saw the concern in his eyes. "Vegeta, is something wrong?"

"No, it's nothing."

"Come on, Vegeta. You can't fool me, you know. Now something's bothering you, and I want to know what it is."

"No, really, Bulma, I'm fine. It's just..."

"Just what?"

"It's this fog. I don't need a weather report or any fancy radar gadgets to tell me that something's wrong."

"But what could be wrong, Vegeta? It's just a little fog."

"I know, Bulma-Chan. But it just doesn't feel right. I'm afraid that something is going to happen, something very bad..."

Watching on a monitor on the other side of the island, four strange creatures peered in on the Saiyan and his human companion. "That's right, Vegeta." The largest of them spoke. "Something is going to happen. And it sure as hell won't be good, especially for you and your little friend." With that, all four began to laugh. The had much in store for the Prince of Saiyans, and soon, their plans would be set into motion...

The fog that had rolled in overnight began to lift just as Krillin was waking up. He crawled out from inside his hut and streched, yawning loudly. "Gee, it sure is foggy out here. Oh well. So long as it doesn't last." He made his way to the cooking capsule to make himself a snack. "Now how the heck do you operate this thing? Man, Bulma's dad sure does come up with some complex gadgets..."

He was cut short when he heard a voice calling out from somewhere in the distance. He couldn't see where it was coming from thanks to the fog, but he could have sworn that the voice was calling out his name.

"Krillin! Hey!"

He looked up and saw Vegeta flying towards him as he, carrying Bulma and some camping gear, emerged from the mists. "Hey you guys!" They touched down, and Bulma ran over to Krillin while Vegeta went to pack away the gear he had been carrying. "I'm glad you're here, Bulma. I have no clue how to work this cooking capsule."

"Oh, it's easy, Krillin. you just have to be smarter than the capsule." she giggled to herself, and Krillin just scoweled. "Oh, come on, I was only kidding, you know. Now get over here and I'll show you how to work it."

After Krillin and Bulma had finished cooking, the rest of the vacationing family and friends awoke. The fog was now gone, and the rising sun shown down on the camp, bathing it in warm yellow light. Mizuki walked over to Krillin and began to massage his head again, she knew how much he loved it. Dr. Brief grabbed himself a plate of the bacon and eggs that had been cooked and sat down to eat.

"So, Bulma. Where did you and Vegeta disappear to last night?" Her mother was always inquisitive when it came to her romances.

"Oh, Vegeta took me to a nice quiet little island, Mom. It was beautiful. We sat and looked up at the stars, and then we went camping in a cove by the shore. It was so romantic. I never would have thought that Vegeta had it in him."

"Well, that's wonderful, dear. It's good to see that you've found someone who treats you like you should be treated. Even though he does have a bit of trouble with other people."

"Yeah, that's for sure, Mom. But Vegeta will always be Vegeta, I guess. Just look at him." She pointed in the direction of the Saiyan warrior, who was gorging himself on the majority of the food that had been cooked. "I don't think I'll ever get used to that appetite of his. At least he has more manners than Goku does when he eats. He's an outright pig, whereas Vegeta at least has some decency."

Mrs. Brief watched in awe as Vegeta pounded down bite after bite, stopping only to wash it all down with some orange juice. She couldn't understand how anyone, human or Saiyan, could eat so much. "My, he does have a healthy appetite."

"I don't think the word healthy does it any justice, mom."

"I think you're right, dear. Well, I'm going to get some food myself here. Why don't you do the same! From what your father tells me, you have a busy day ahead of you!" She grabbed a plate and went off to get some food for herself. 

Bulma picked up a plate and looked down at it. She wasn't really all that hungry, and she was lost in her thoughts. Her mother was right, she did have a rather busy day in front of her. More specifically, a busy night. But she was worried, and it showed.

"Hey Bulma. You don't look too happy. What's wrong?" Mizuki came over to get a plate for herself. "You should eat something instead of just staring at the plate."   
  
"I know, Mizuki. But I can't really think about food when I have stuff on my mind like this."

"Well, what's bugging you?"

"It's a couple of things, really. First off, there's tonight. I know we're going to have a good time and all, but I really wanted to get that dress. It would have made Vegeta fall over if he saw me in it. It was so pretty..."

"I know you did, Bulma. It was a pretty dress, and you would have looked great in it. But there's nothing you can really do about it. Someone bought it already. It'll be OK, I'm sure we can find something for you to wear."  
  
"Yeah, I know. But that's not all. When Vegeta and I woke up this morning, there was a thick fog covering everything. And it had him worried. I can't really tell why, but he does have a sense about these things. He thinks that something bad is going to happen soon, and the fog was an omen of some kind. I really hope he doesn't mean about our trip to the club tonight."

"Well, try not to think about it too much. If you let it get to you, you won't have much fun at all. Just put it in the back of your mind. He could be wrong, you know."

"Yeah, you're right." She sighed and went to get herself some food.

Mizuki watched her go to the buffet table that Krillin had set up, though by now it was empty thanks to Vegeta. "I really don't know what she sees in that guy. But hey, it's her thing. He sure is an odd one, though." And with that, she went to the table to get her own food.

Later that day, the girls had gone to a small town nearby to get some much needed food supplies to counteract the effects of Vegeta's seemingly bottomless stomach. Dr. Brief tagged along since he had nothing better to do, and that left Krillin and Vegeta alone for the better part of the afternoon.

"Alright, baldie. Time to show me how this Dancing thing works. And you had better do a good job teaching me, because if I look like a fool..."

"Jeez, Vegeta. No need to get all pissy. I'll do my best. It depends on how much you're willing to learn."

"Well, if what I'm going to learn will keep me from looking stupid, then I'm as willing as I'm going to be. Now let's get started."

Krillin went to his hut and came back a few seconds later with his protable stereo. He set it down on the picnic table and put in a CD. "Now, Vegeta, the key to dancing is being able to keep the beat. The song has a certain rhthm to it. Here, I'll show ya how."

He pushed the play button, and out from the speakers came music that was simply alien to Vegeta. It sounded like a bunch of machines beeping and thumping, much like the sounds the GT back at the compound made. But somehow, he was able to pick out the melody and actually began to like it. But, his Saiyan pride soon kicked in.

"You call this music? This sounds like one of Bulma's machines!"

Krillin stood, snapping his fingers to the beat. "It's called Techno music, Vegeta. You'll hear alot of it tonight, so you better get used to it. Now, you see how I'm snapping my fingers to the beat? That's what the rhythm is. As long as you can follow the rhythm, you can't go wrong on the dance floor. You following OK?"

Vegeta found himself tapping his foot on the ground in time to the music.

"I think you got it, big guy! Now then, the whole point of dancing is to have fun."

"You know how much I don't like the thought of fun, baldie. I'm a Saiyan, and more than that, I'm the Prince of..."

"Yeah, yeah. The Prince of Saiyans, I know. We've all heard it a million times. And before you go snapping about how Saiyans don't have any fun, forget it. You'll just have to get used to the idea of fun, Vegeta, or you'll end up looking like a stiff on the dance floor. Now, all you do is move your body to the music. Keep the rhythm." Krillin started to move his torso, twisting it in time to the music. "See? You try it!"

"I don't know about this, you little twerp. It looks strange."

"Oh, just relax already, Vegeta. You're not gonna get anywhere unless you loosen up a bit."

Vegeta looked at him oddly, but then he began to let the music take over. Slowly, he started to move in time with the beat. And, to both his surprise and delight, he found that he liked the situation, and liked it alot. Soon he was grooving out like a pro.

"Wow, Vegeta! You sure are a fast learner. Now, let's move on to some harder steps."

For the next few hours, Krillin showed his Saiyan student some of his own best moves. They worked on several popular dances, and the young monk even taught Vegeta his own special dance routine. The two were actually bonding for the first time, though Vegeta would never admit to it. But they did agree on using Krillin's dance as a sort of secret weapon. When the time was right, the two would hit the dance floor and wow the crowd with their newfound talents. They agreed on a song to use as well. The club they were going to, Club Zero, specialized in dance music from America and Europe. So they decided that the song "Move Your Body" by a Eruopean band called Eiffel 65 would be their time to shine. Krillin resolved to talk to the DJ about it, and the battle plan was set.

After their dancing lesson was over, Krillin and Vegeta moved down the beach to do some fishing. They found a large rock, it's surface around 20 feet off the ground, that extended out into the ocean far enough that the depth would be perfect for fishing. They flew up to the top, baited their hooks, and cast their lines out into the saltwater.

"So, Vegeta, are you and Bulma getting together? You two sure do spend alot of time together."

"Well, it's not really any of your business, but if you must know, we do have something of a relationship."

"That's cool, man. I always thought that her and Yamcha would be together for life. But I guess that didn't work out like that."

"That weakling isn't worthy of Bulma's attention. He's constantly cheating on her. It's not right. She deserves better, and now she has it."

"Yeah, I guess so. You're deffinately a better choice when it comes to the cheating factor."

"Yes. But why do you want to know all this? Why do you care so much about what goes on between Bulma and I?" He turned to face his bald companion, looking angry.   
  
"Well, Vegeta, it's mostly because Bulma's my friend. I watched Yamcha hurt her over and over, but I didn't say anything because Yamcha's my friend, too. And I guess I'm a little jealous too. But not how you think I would be."

"Oh?" Vegeta's look of anger turned to a look of puzzlement.

"Well, what you guys have, it's different from what Mizuki and I have. Sure, I like her and everything. But it doesn't seem quite right. What I want is a girl I could settle down with for the rest of my life. Mizuki is more of a free spirit. So I'm envyous of Bulma now. She has someone she can settle down with. That's what I want."

"I see." Vegeta thought it over for a moment. Bulma wanted to stay with him for life? He pondered the thought. Growing old together, having children, being as happy as they were now, only forever. "That would be something else, that's for sure."

"Look, Vegeta. I know how your pride is and all. But I want you to know that you can tell me. I won't sayu anything to anyone. Especially Goku. But, do you think you're in love with her?"

Vegeta's thoughts turned back to the emotions he's felt over the past few months. He knew he was in love with her. All those months of wondering what it was, and this little bald man could tell faster than he could figure it out. "Yes, Krillin, I am."

Krillin was in shock. He had called him by his name. That was a first for Vegeta. "Wow. You sure are a lucky guy, Vegeta..."

The two returned to their fishing, not speaking much after that. Vegeta was reflecting on his own situation, and Krillin was daydreaming of a life like Bulma and her Saiyan had. He wondered if he would ever find anyone. He didn't know that soon, he would, but it wouldn't begin the way he imagined it would.

It was late in the evening. The sun was goind down, and the air began to cool off just a bit. A gentle breeze was blowing over the Brief Family campground as the kids were getting ready for the night's festivities. They had split off into two groups: The boys, Krillin and Vegeta, went off to get their suits ready to go. The girls, Bulma and Mizuki, went their own way with Bulma's mother to get things together themselves.

"Hey Vegeta. What cologne do you think I should wear? Gravity, or Preferred Stock?"

Vegeta had no clue as to how cologne worked, and looked at Krillin, totally baffled.

"OK, man. Here check this out. I'll spray some into the air, and you smell each one. Then you can tell me which one you think is better."

"Alright. Sounds simple enough."

"Right on. Now, this one's the Preferred Stock." He held up the small bottle of liquid scent and sprayed it into the air. Vegeta leaned into the mist and took a whiff. "Hmmm. Not bad, really."

"OK, now comes the Gravity." He held up the other bottle and sprayed it in a different direction, so as not to mix the two fragrances together. Vegeta again leaned out to smell the concoction. This one he particularly liked. "Well, which do you think I should wear?"

Vegeta thought it over for a second. He really liked the Gravity, and the name sounded pretty good as well, since he associated it with his training. But he didn't want to wear the same stuff that Krillin would wear, so he decided. "Wear the Stock stuff. I myself will wear the Gravity."

"OK, sounds like a plan." The strongest human on Earth proceeded to practically shower himself with the strange liquid, then handed the other bottle to the Saiyan Prince.

"I'll put this on in a few minutes. I have to take care of my surprise for Bulma before she decides she wants to wear something else and bitches at me for not mentioning it sooner." With that, he took out the box which he had hidden in the bottom of his suitcase and made his way out of the hut.

Krillin watched the Saiyan as he left, and sighed. 'Man, he sure does have his stuff together. I hope he gets the reaction he wants. What a guy.' With that thought, he got back to getting his outfit together.

Vegeta made his way over to the hut where the girls were getting ready. Dr. Brief, sitting on the picnic table petting his ever present kitty, spoke to him as he passed.  
  
"What you got there, Vegeta?"

"It's a gift for your daughter, if you must know."

"Oh really? Well, good luck there, son. I'm sure she'll love it."

Had he just called him son? Vegeta couldn't quite comprehend why he had called him that when he clearly was not his father. 'Oh well' Vegeta told himself. He had more pressing matters to attend to at the moment. He got to the entrance to the girls' hut, and knocked.

"Who is it?" He heard Bulma call from inside.

"It's me, Vegeta. I would like to see you for a moment, Bulma."   
  
"OK, I'll be out in a second. But this better be quick, I still have to pick out an outfit for tonight."

"That's part of what I want to see you about."

"What?" Bulma was confused. Why would Vegeta want to see her about what she was going to wear? She looked at her mother with a puzzled gaze. Her mother, equally confused, motioned for her to go ahead and meet him outside. She was in shorts and a tanktop, so she didn't have to worry about going out in anything less.

Krillin had come out to watch. He knew what Vegeta was about to do, and he wanted to see the reaction on Bulma's face. He knew this would be a classic, one to tell the guys back at Master Roshi's when the vacation was over.

Bulma came out of the hut, followed by Mizuki and her mother. Dr. Brief had even come over to see how this was going to go. With everyone there, Vegeta began to speak, the box clutched behind his back so she couldn't see it.

"What do you want, Vegeta? We have alot more to do before we're ready to go."   
  
"Well, I don't want you to pick an outfit out quite yet."

"And why not?"

"Well, when we were out yesterday, I picked something up for you that I thought you might enjoy wearing."

Bulma's eyes grew wide with wonder. Had he? "When did you have time to get me something, Vegeta? We were together all day!"

"Well, Bulma-Chan, not ALL day..." He broght the box into view and handed it to her.

"What's this, Vegeta? What did you get for me?" She opened the box, and her heart skipped a beat. There, underneath the cray paper, was the dress she had marveled at the day before. "Vegeta... But how... This is... But... HOW?" She had no clue how Vegeta had gotten his hands on it, since it had been sold to someone else while she was in the dress shop admiring it. And then she realized it. It was Vegeta who had bought it for her. He must have had the clerk in on it, and then taken it to the car while she was still in the store with Mizuki.

"I saw how much you loved that dress, Bulma-Chan. So I had the clerk purchase it for me, then flew it back to the car. This is the second part of my surprise. I hope you like it."

"Kami, Vegeta. Are you kidding? I love it! THANK YOU! THANK YOU SO MUCH!" She threw herself at him and gave him a huge hug, and kissed him deeply. Neither of them cared who was watching, the world was theirs alone.

Krillin smiled and sighed. It was exactly what he wanted to see. 'Man, that's just sweet. I guess Vegeta isn't the bad guy we all thought he was. Good job, Vegeta. The night is yours.' He chuckled a bit, and went back to getting himself ready.

Mrs. Brief walked over to her husband, hugged him, and smiled. "It looks like our little girl has found her prince after all." 

"Looks like you're right, dear. I guess Vegeta's heart isn't as cold as we thought." The good doctor smiled himself, and gave his kitty a little pat on the head. "Well, kitty. Looks like there's some magic in the air, after all." The little black feline purred it's approval.

**Author's Note: If you happen to have "Kiss Me" by Sixpence None The Richer in your CD or MP3 collection, you might want to get it ready. This story is about to have a "She's All That" moment. ^_^ -- Eric**

About an hour later, darkness had fallen on the camp, and the kids were almost ready to leave for Club Zero. Vegeta and Krillin were waiting by the car, and Mizuki and Bulma were putting the finishing touches on their outfits and makeup. Bulma did it all with a huge smile on her face. Vegeta had really outdone himself this time.

Back at the car, Krillin and Vegeta stood waiting, chatting a bit. "You know, Vegeta, for a while I only thought that being Royalty made you an arrogant, cocky sone of a bitch. But tonight showed me one thing. You must be royalty, cause that was totally class. You got some serious style, there."

"Well, I can't be cold hearted all the time. And Bulma is a very special person to me. She has shown me the one thing that was missing from my life. And I was simply helping her dream come true, since she has been helping me reach mine."

"Well, Vegeta, if you ask me, you're already a Super Saiyan. You may not have the crazy powers or gold hair, but you sure are a Super Hero, at least to Bulma."

Vegeta smirked and let out a simple grunt that sounded like half a laugh. This had since been regarded by everyone as his way of saying thank you, and Krillin got the message loud and clear. He smiled up at his counterpart, now thinking of Vegeta in a very different light.

**Author's Note: Start The Music ^_^ -- Eric**

"Alright boys! The girls are ready!" Mrs. Breif came out of the hut and called to the young men standing beside the car. Both their heads perked up in attention as she came over to them. "I hope you boys are ready. The look simply adorable."

The first to come out was Mizuki. Krillin blushed a new shade of red when he saw her. She was wearing a tight black silk dress, obviously Chinese in design, with a gold dragon on the front that reminded him of Shenlong. The dress was knee length, and had a slit in the left side that ran nearly all the way up to her hip. Krillin was flabbergasted. He couldn't speak, and could hardly breathe.

As he waited in anticipation, Vegeta stood shaking. He couldn't wait to see his beloved Bulma in the dress he had gotten for her. She was so excited when he gave it to her, and now he too was feeling the same kind of excitement. All of his Saiyan pride and anger was nowhere to be found. He was totally disarmed, and when she came out, it got worse.  
  
Bulma emerged from the little hut, and Vegeta lost it. She was so beautiful in that dress. Her hair was tied up in a bow that matched the purple in the garment. 'She's the most beautiful girl I've ever seen' he thought to himself. He felt his knees begin to turn to gelatine as she walked over to him. It all seemed to happen in slow motion, a moment frozen in time, and he wouldn't have wished for it to be any more perfect. As she strode towards him, he noticed how the dress accentuated every feature of her body. He felt a tear well up in his eye, and paid it no mind. 'Let it fall' he thought. 'This is the happiest I've ever been, and nothing can ruin it.'

"So Vegeta, what do you think, hmmm?" She was looking at him with those large blue eyes of hers, almost like a puppy would look with love at it's owner. He was completely overtaken with emotion, and she could sense it immediately. 

"Bulma-Chan. You look beautiful." His voice was at a near whisper, and he almost choked up on his words. But he maintained his composure. "You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen in my life."

She leaned up to him and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you, Vegeta. You've really made my night. This is the greatest gift anyone could have given me. It's not the dress, it's how I feel. You've really made me happy. Thank you."

"Well you guys, are we ready to go get down?" Krillin had helped Mizuki into the car, being the gentleman he was, and looked at the happy couple with a big smile.   
  
"I think we're ready to go, don't you Vegeta?"

He couldn't speak. He just turned and opened the door for her, and took her hand to seat her in her the car. He was totally struck blind with emotion, something that had never happened to him before. He wasn't himself at all. Even the thought of surpassing Kakkarot had totally escaped him. He managed to clear his thoughts long enough to get into the car himself.

"Well, here we go! Next stop, Club Zero!" And with that, Krillin hit the gas and they were off to what they all knew would be a most memorable night of fun, dancing, and for some, a little bit of romance...

They arrived in Aloha City some time later, and parked the car, this time at a garage a little closer to the club. They locked up, paid the attendant, and made their way down the sidewalk to their destination. As they walked along, the looked at the neon lights of the city's many venues. Bulma and Mizuki "oooooo'd" and "aaaahhhh'd" as they past display after display, each more extravigant then the last. After a few minutes of this, they arrived at Club Zero.

The line to get in was long. "Look at that line, you guys." Krillin sounded a little upset, almost dismayed at the prospect of waiting in line. 

"Well, what do you expect from an upscale place like this?" Bulma looked at the entrance, some 60 meters ahead of them in line. The line was packed with people, all the way up. They were turning some people away. "Looks like they either don't want certain people in there or they have some fake IDs. The nerve of some people."

"Yeah." Mizuki was still gawking at the lights of the city around her. She had never really been to a larger city like this, especially at night when it was so alive. "God, I never knew how pretty a city like this could be."

"Well, I'll be the club's inside is alot prettier. I hear this place takes it's theme pretty seriously, at least as far as the decore goes." Bulma was still looking ahead as she spoke. Another bunch of flunkies turned away. She giggled a bit at the thought of how it must be to have to try and fake one's way into a club like this one.

After about 15 minutes of standing in line, they were finally close to the front. When it was their turn, they all showed their IDs. Vegeta had to show a Capsule Corp. ID that was made for him, since he had no other indentification on him. After all, there really was no such thing as a card-carrying Saiyan. But, as was the case everywhere, employees of Capsule were held in high regard, especially Bulma. She was the daughter of the CEO. And her guests were always welcome.

Once they got through the front door, they took an elevator up to the second floor, where the main entrance to the club was. When the elevator doors parted, they got their first good look at the interior of the place.

It was a large, almost cavernous room, with two levels. The upper level, on which they now stood, was more of a balcony than anything, with tables all around, and a bar near the glass doors that lead out onto the main outdoor balcony. Below was the main dance floor. And the entire club reflected it's theme. The bars, tables, walls, everything was designed as an arctic glacier would be. Patterned like jagged stalactites of ice and show drifts, the tops of the tables and bars were indented as to prevent any spills from getting out of control. And the sides looked like giant ice cubes, with a soft blue light eminating from within each one.

A second tier on top of each of the tables, similarly decorated, held ashtrays for the smokers and other things like napkins, coasters and more. The walls were lined around the ceiling with more blue lights. In fact, the entire place was doused in a soft light blue light. The dance floor below had lights, moving in time to the pumping music from the DJ's sound system, colored in shades of blue and purple.

This caught Vegeta's attention almost immediately, and he loved it. Blue, after all, was the color of the Saiyan Royal Bloodline. His body suit, his tank tops, it was all blue to reflect his lineage. And of course, it was blue like the color of his companion's eyes.

"Wow! This place is great!" Krillin tried to hold himself back, but couldn't. "Come on, Mizuki, I'll buy you a drink!" He took his date by the hand and led her to the bar, laughing all the way.

"Well, Vegeta, shall we find ourselves a table?" She looked up at him, smiling.

He really couldn't help himself, and began to smile as well. With that, the two made their way to a table not far from the outdoor balcony's entrance. They sat down, and a waiter came up to them almost immediately. 

"Good evening, Miss Brief. Is there anything I can get you and your escort?"

"Wow! Word sure does get around! Let's see, I'll have a Blue Maui. What would you like, Vegeta?"

He looked at the waiter, and spoke in his usual gruff tone. "I'll have a beer. And make sure it's not watered down. God knows I hate watered down beer."

The waiter began to sweat a little, but regained his nerves. "Well, sir, we have Guiness, Boddingtons, Fosters, and Molson Ice. Would you like one of those?"

"I'll have a Molson Ice, and make it snappy."

"Um, very well. I'll be right back." The waiter jogged off to the bar to get their drinks. "Good god. The people that come in here sometimes..."

Bulma giggled as the waiter left the table. "You know, Vegeta, you CAN relax. I think you scared the hell out of that poor guy." She reached out and took his hand in her own. "Now try and calm down, you big lug. And for god's sake, have some fun!"

"I'll try, Bulma-Chan." Vegeta was a bit nervous. Eventually, she'd want him to go out onto the dance floor with her. He was unsure about his dancing, even though Krillin had told him that he had done well for a newcomer. "Where is that servant man? I want my beer."

"Remember, Vegeta, try to be nice. Noone here cares about who you are, how strong you are or about your pride. They just want to have fun and enjoy themselves, so try and do the same. Please?"

Vegeta just scowled at her a bit.

"For me, Vegeta?" She smiled at him, the way she always did. She knew that it drove him crazy, and she also knew that she could get him to do just about anything when she did. It was her own little weapon in the war to tame the wild heart of the Saiyan Prince.

And it worked. He relaxed a bit, and smiled himself. Looking around, he saw happy couples all through the club, and singles at the bar. He wondered if he would be one of those singles had Bulma not had her incident with Yamcha. He chuckled a little as he pictured that pathetic ex boyfriend of hers, standing alone at the bar, trying to use his lame excuses and lines to attract members of the opposite sex.

It didn't take the waiter long to come back with their drinks, since he knew that this was a very special customer, and he was in the hunt for a big tip. "Here you go, folks. This first one's on the house. After that, you both get half off whatever you order. Just hollar for me if you need anything, my name's Katsuhito."

"Great! Thanks alot. We have some other people with us, if you could get them the same treatment we'd be very greatful." Bulma smiled as she took her first sip of her Blue Maui.

"Sure can! Just call me over when they join you." The waiter took off to serve the other customers, satisfied that he was doing his job well with the Capsule Corp. party.

"Wow. He was pretty helpful, wasn't he, Vegeta?"

Vegeta was still looking at the bar, laughing to himself at his daydream of Yamcha.

"Vegeta? What are you looking at?"

"If I told you, Bulma-Chan, you'ld find it a little funny, but upsetting. But it's nothing you should worry about." He took a slug of his beer, and sank down in his chair.

Not long afterwards, Krillin and Mizuki found their table and joined. them. "Hey you guys, this place is great! Just look at all the people in here. Must be the most popular night spot in Aloha City!" Mizuki was in awe of the spectacle. Coming from a small, rural town, she had never seen a place like this. She was used to the small bars populated by people she knew back home.

"Yeah, this place is pretty wild." Krillin answered. "If we didn't have to train for those Androids that kid told us about, then we could come to places like this more often!"

They all became quiet for a moment. The Android Menace always loomed on the horizon. It worried them as much as anything ever had, since the boy from the future, who was in fact Trunks, Bulma and Vegeta's future son, had said that everyone but Gohan would be killed in the initial confrontation. That especially concerned Vegeta, who did not like the thought of being killed by a machine.

"Well, we can't worry and mope around about it now. We're here to have fun." Bulma had a knack for changing the subject. "Lets go out on the dance floor and have some fun. Who wants to join me?"

"I'll come down with you, Bulma." Mizuki was looking forward to getting some dancing in. 

"Alright, what about you two?" She looked at Krillin and Vegeta, who were still thinking about the Androids between sips of their beers. "Well, are you two coming or not?"

"Ahh, Bulma, I think we'll just sit here for a bit. We'll be out in a little while, I need to talk to Vegeta about some stuff, anyway. What do you think, Vegeta?"

Vegeta just stared into his bottle of beer, his thoughts lost on what would happen when the Androids finally came.

"We'll be alright here, Bulma. You and Mizuki go on ahead."

"Alright, suit yourselves. But just remember, Vegeta. I'm getting you on that dance floor sometime tonight, so you'ld better be ready. See you guys in a little while!" The girls made their way to the nearby stairs, which lead down to the dance floor.

Once the girls were safely out of earshot, Krillin turned to Vegeta. "Well, do you think you're ready to do this, Vegeta?"

"I don't know about this. I mean, if I make myself look like a fool in front of all these people, I can't say for sure that I won't lose it and blast this place into the next dimension. And that doesn't say good things about what I'll do to you, either, baldie."

"Look, man. You did fine this afternoon. You took to it faster than I've ever seen anyone take to dancing. You're a natural, Vegeta. And besides, I think you've got the right stuff. It will leave a good impression on Bulma, that's for sure."

"You really believe what you're saying?" Vegeta looked up from his beer at Krillin, and gave him one of his best scowls. "You really think that I won't end up making an ass of myself and blowing this place sky high?"

"Truest me, Vegeta. Now, here's the plan. I figure a few more drinks will get us loosened up a bit, so let me call the waiter over and get us a couple of beers each. Once we get them in our systems, we should be good to go. Sound like a plan?"

Vegeta just grunted a quiet "Hrumph", his way of saying "Fine."   
  
"Alright then. Waiter?"

After Krillin had challanged Vegeta to a few chugging contests, which the Saiyan Prince had gladly accepted and won, they sat at the table, each with a great buzz. "Well, big guy, you ready to go show the place what the Prince Of Saiyans can do on the dance floor?" Vegeta hicupped, and looked at his counterpart with a sadistic smile. "Let's do it, baldie. I'm feeling the *hicup* groove, and I'm ready to move!"

"That's the spirit, man! Now, let's get down there!"

They stood up and walked, with the occasional stumble, over to the stairs and down to the dance floor. It didn't take them long to find the girls, who were dancing over by the massive speakers set up near the DJ's table. Making their way through the crowd, the came up to the girls, each with a smile on their faces.

"Well well well, look who decided to join us." Bulma called over the loud music coming from the speakers nearby. "So, Vegeta, are you going to dance with me or what?"

"Well, that depends, Bulma-Chan. Are you going to try not to laugh if I do?"

"Oh, Vegeta, just chill out and dance with me already!"

It didn't take long for the Saiyan warrior to catch the beat of the song pumping through the stereo. In moments he was, as Americans were fond of saying, Gettin' Jiggy With It. Bulma stopped dancing and looked at him in complete shock. 'I had no clue that he could dance, and this well for that matter! He sure does take to things quickly.'

Krillin and Mizuki were dancing nearby, and Mizuki looked over at Vegeta. She turned back to Krillin and yelled so he could hear her over the music. "You know, I never took him as the dancing type. He's actually pretty good at it!"

"Yeah," Krillin said in return, "while you guys were out earlier I gave him a crash course in funky moves. He's a natural! Didn't take long for him to learn how to do it. And here I was thinking he'd never get the hang of it."

Bulma had shaken off her surprise and joined Vegeta in dancing like wild. The song was changed, thanks to a flawless mix by the DJ, and they were grinding together. Bulma had backed herself into him, and they were swaying together to the rhythm. Krillin looked at them with wide-eyed wonder, and to his own astonishment found Mizuki doing the same to him. They danced for a few more songs, and returned to the table to take a break and have a few more drinks.

The gang sat around the table, laughing as the waiter kept them happy with drinks as fast as he could. It was deffinately a night to remember so far, and they were all sure that there was more to come. Krillin got up and whispered something to Vegeta, who nodded. Then he went off and headed down the stairs.

"Where's he going, Vegeta?" Bulma asked in a near drunken tone of voice. She had quite a few Blue Maui's since they returned to the table.

"You'll see, Bulma-Chan. It's a surprise."

"Oh, Vegeta, you and your surprises. Well, if history has a habbit *hicup* of repeating itself, then this should actually be good."

Krillin returned a short time later, smiling to Vegeta. "It's all set, bro. two more songs, and it's on." He let out an evil smile, and sat back down to continue drinking his beer.

Mizuki lookd at Krillin, wondering why he was smiling like that. "OK, what are you up to now, Krillin? What kind of scheme is pulsating through that head of yours?"

"Oh, you'll see soon, babe. Meanwhile, let's move down to the dance floor. Vegeta and I have to get ready."

The group had moved to the dance floor, and the song was just about to play. Krillin and Vegeta had positioned themselves for the coming onslaught of dancing wonder, and the girls had moved off to the side, eager to see what they had planned. When the song started it's intro, Krillin looked over to Vegeta.

"You ready, man?"

"As ready as I'll ever be, baldie. Let's do this."

And when the beat hit, they started. It was an incredible spectical, the two men, one human one Saiyan, moved to the beat in perfect synchronization. Sliding left, then right, then breaking into a series of jumps and kicks that would have even the most seasoned dancer looking on in amazement. A circle formed around them, people looking on in amazment. They all clapped along to the beat as Krillin and Vegeta did their routine.

With their skills as martial artists, they performed moves, with balance and grace, that would have most normal people on their backs in pain. At one point, they both lept up into the air, going as high as the second level, spinning and flipping like it was nobody's business. The crowd around them marveled at the sight.

Mizuki and Bulma were in awe. Bulma especially, since she had no idea that Vegeta even had it in him. She was amazed at how good he was, and keeping up with Krillin was never an easy task. She knew that he had yet to find a partner that could match his moves, and she was surprised that he had found that in the Saiyan warrior who had nearly killed them all years before.

They continued through the extended version of the song, and never missed a beat. When the song was finished, the crowd erupted in cheers and applause. Vegeta looked over at Krillin and smiled. "You've outdone yourself, there, baldie. Looks like you get to be on my good list for a little while longer."

"Glad to hear it, Vegeta. Now let's go get another beer. I'm beat."

"Good idea. Where's that waste of a waiter at? I need another Molson." Together, they gathered up the girls and headed back to the table, all the while getting comments and congratulations from the crowd as they went.

Later that night, Bulma found herself right where she wanted to be. She was standing out on the club's outdoor balcony, with Vegeta standing just behind her. They were looking out over the strip, admiring the lights and hustle of the city. She turned to him and gave him a big hug.

"Wow. That was incredible, Vegeta. Where'd you ever learn how to do that?"

"The little bald guy taught me all that. I asked him to teach me so I wouldn't make a fool out of myself if I came here with you. I guess it turned out rather well, didn't it."

"I'll say it did." She leaned up against the rail and looked up at the full moon, hanging low in the night sky. "It's been a wonderful night, Vegeta. I really want to thank you for agreeing to come along. For all the more cold hearted and arrogant you are, you've really proven that you do have a softer side." She turned to him again and smiled.

Inside the club, the DJ announced that it was nearly closing time. "Well, that's about it for us here at Club Zero, the coolest night spot in beautiful Aloha City. So before you all go, we wanna leave you with a memory or two. These last two songs are gonna be slow ones, so grab your favorite guy or girl and get out there on the dance floor. Get close kids, and make a memory that'll last a lifetime."

"Well, Vegeta. Looks like it's almost over. Want to slow dance with me?"

"Slow Dance? And I thought the little bald guy showed me everything I needed to know."

"Oh, don't worry, silly. It's alot easier than what he showed you. And besides, you get to hold me close..."

"Well, alright, Bulma. You can show me how to do this Slow Dance. God knows I've been shown everything else today."

"Oh, you..." She took him by the hand and led him to the door that led back into the club. "Come on, Vegeta. This'll be fun!"

Once inside, they found Krillin and Mizuki dancing together amidst the other couples. She had her arms around his head since he was a bit shorter than her, and he loved it. They turned to see Bulma and Vegeta walking towards them.

"Well, this certainly has been a pretty good night, eh guys?" Krillin was as happy as a clam.

"Yep, it sure has been, Krillin. I'm sorry to see it end, but I don't think I'll forget it anytime soon." When she finished, Bulma turned to Vegeta and put his arms around her waist. "OK, Vegeta. Now, just follow my lead and you'll be fine, OK?"

He just looked at her and nodded, since he had no clue what he was doing at all. The song changed to a slow ballad by an American band Bulma called Queensryche. In his mind, Vegeta found it rather relaxing, and he was soon dancing with his love, looking into her eyes with more endearment then he ever had before. Together, they danced around in circles, much like they had that first night when they floated down to the balcony of her room. 

In both of their minds, this was the most wonderful night either of them had ever had with anyone, let alone individually. As they danced through the night, the scene around them seemed to disappear as they became lost in each other's embrace. The mighty Prince Of Saiyans, and his little human Princess...

Back near the campsite, the four creatures began to set their trap. "Alright, you guys, get these energy bindings set up. That Saiyan and his little friends should be back soon. We need to make sure everything's perfect."

"Right boss. But I don't see why we don't just catch Vegeta and worry about getting his human female later on. Wouldn't that be easier?"

"Maybe, you idiot, but then we wouldn't have any fun with it. If we capture her, then he'll come to us. Just give it some time..." The creature smiled an evil smile. His intentions were not good at all. "Soon, Vegeta, you'll know why we came all the way here to find you. And soon, you'll be ours..."

  
That's it for Chapter Six. If you wanna 2nd R, feel free. Now comes [The Kidnapped Saga][3], Which here at FF.N is listed as a seperate story to preserve Chapter Order. Thanks for the great response, everyone ^.^ Remember to visit the [Home Site][2] for all my FanFiction!

   [1]: http://RanchoRelaxo99.tripod.com/vegetabulma/
   [2]: http://RanchoRelaxo99.tripod.com/lounge/
   [3]: http://www.fanfiction.net/index.fic?action=story-read&storyid=204106



	7. The Kidnapped Saga

Hey gang. To preserve the chapter order for my story listing here at FanFiction.net, I've decided to release Chapter 7 as a seperate story. It will have it's own "chapters", as I'm writing it in parts, much like episodes of a DBZ saga.

Anyway, this page is just a filler. Sorry, but I had to do it. Anyway, if you want to read Chapter 7, I have it posted here at FanFiction.net as Unlikely Romance: The Kidnapped Saga. Enjoy!

As always, thanks for reading!

Eric, AKA E-Chan ^.^


	8. Winter Wonderland

Dragonball Z: Unlikely Romance  
By Eric Jacobson  
Chapter 8 - Winter Wonderland  
  
Yes! Here it is! The long awaited 8th chapter of DBZ:UR! I know it's been forever since I've updated this, my most well-recieved fic. But I've been a busy boy, with work and life taking over and writing taking a back seat. But now, it's on! I actually have time, and this is the result! Please enjoy, and as always, please review ^-^  
  
  
  
The Prince of Saiyans stood looking out his window, disgusted. Of all the things he still hated about the planet Earth, it was what he saw outside. It made him think of the time before he came to live in the Capsule Corp. compound, when he roughed it in the woods in the West District.  
  
If he still had a tail, it would have been aggravated to no end. Saiyan tails, being the ultra sensitive organs they were, would react to the slightest environmental changes. But here on Earth, there was nothing subtle about this change. In the back of his mind, he found himself thanking that fat little waste of DNA, Yajirobi, for cutting it off during his first battle with Kakkarot.  
  
As he watched the sky, he cursed under his breath. There was nothing about his new home that he hated more than what was falling on the other side of the glass.  
  
Snow.  
  
"To hell with this nonsense. Vegetasei was never like this." His home planet wasn't like Earth in the slightest. The red skies and patches of clouds colored orange by the near eternal sunset. "Damn this white nightmare. Damn it to hell."  
  
"What was that, 'Geta?" Bulma had just walked into their room as Vegeta was cursing the cascade of frozen precipitation.  
  
"Must you call me that? I don't call you 'Ulma, do I?"  
  
"Oh, calm down, grouchy. I know you hate snow. But it's Winter! It's not like we can control the changes in the weather."  
  
"Humph. On Vegetasei, if this ever happened, I'd get that weakling Kakkarot's father to come up with a way to control it. The man was a genius, too bad his son is just a third class ninny."  
  
"You just can't give that up, can you? What is it with you and Goku? Why do you always have to be at odds with him?"  
  
"He's a third class..."  
  
Bulma had heard this nearly a thousand times before, and it never changed. As of late, she found herself finishing this thought for her Prince more and more, even sometimes imitating his sharp, raspy voice, as she did this particular time. "Nobody, and I'm the Prince of All Saiyans. Vegeta, you never change in that respect, do you. Oh well. You'd better put that childish idea out of your mind soon, because everyone will be coming over in a few weeks, including Goku."  
  
"And why are they all coming here?" He continued to look out into the falling snow, his gaze unbroken as his mind continued to shoot insults at the falling menace before him.  
  
"Well, Vegeta, it's almost Christmas time! Don't tell me that you've been on this planet for this long and not heard of Christmas."  
  
In fact, Vegeta had heard something or another about this Christmas. It was a mostly western holiday, widely celebrated among the people of North America and Europe. While it was the observance of the birth of a particular religious icon, it was also known as a time of fellowship and gift exchange, two things he didn't particularly care for.  
  
"Yes, Bulma, I know what Christmas is. And to be perfectly honest, I have no desire to spend it, or any other time, with Kakkarot. The only gift I'll ever give to that loser is my fist rammed down his throat."  
  
Bulma smacked her Prince on the ass, which drew a small grunt of displeasure from him. "Well, grouchy, this time you don't have a choice. There's no way I'm missing my first Christmas with you, and you'll just have to deal with the fact that all of the Son family, including Goku, will be here for it. Not to mention the others will be here. Krillin, Tien, Yajirobi..."  
  
"The little fat guy who cut off my tail? That little waste is coming here?"  
  
"Yes, Vegeta, he is. He's our friend. And he'll be bringing Korin with him as well."  
  
"Who the hell is Korin?"  
  
"Nevermind, Vegeta. Just try and get rid of the 'bad boy' attitude in the next two weeks. They're all spending the week before Christmas Sunday, and you'll have to just behave yourself."  
  
"The entire week? You mean I have to put up with this bunch of freaks for an entire week?" His lips curled and a frown started to form. But before he could go any further, Bulma came around in front of him, wrapped her arms around his shoulders, and planted a kiss that was right on target. "Well, given this new information, I suppose I could at least try..."  
  
  
Later that night, Vegeta found himself where he always did, it the GT, working on his technique and trying like mad to improve himself. Whether Bulma wanted him to behave himself for Christmas or not, he was still going to reach his goal. He was still going to surpass Kakkarot.  
  
As the training drones buzzed around his head, he tried to picture what Christmas with that bunch of misfits would be like. He chuckled as he imagined himself decking each and every one of them one by one, giving them each a "Merry Christmas" to go along with it. _That would be a gift to remember_ he thought. As he continued to defend himself from and attack the drones, he secretly wished that Yamcha would be there. How grand it would be to have another go-around with that particular human. Their last encounter had been the night Vegeta told him to get out of Bulma's life and never return.  
  
Now, he wished he'd never said that. Not because he was starting to like that moron, far from it. But he wanted to be able to drill him through the wall again, hang him several hundred feet in the air, and say it all over again. He'd played that incident over and over in his mind since then, and each time he pictured it, it amused him more and more.  
  
Reality set in then, and he realized that Yamcha's chances of showing up were very low. He knew that weakling feared him, and rightly he should. The only thing that kept Vegeta from ripping his head off and feeding it to a wild animal was Bulma. _Such is the price of love, I suppose. With such feelings must come restraint. But I think it's worth it.  
  
_Of course, the idiot might indeed show up. And if Vegeta could resist the urge to pummel him into oblivion, he would get a good laugh out of the squirming he would see every time he was around Yamcha.  
  
A blast from behind shocked Vegeta back to reality and away from his thoughts. _Damn. I lowered my guard and it got the best of me. I mustn't do that anymore..._ Resuming full concentration, he placed the matter in the back of his mind for future deliberation. After all, he had a few weeks...  
  
  
"Oh my Kami. Two weeks to figure it out. All this genius, and my mind draws a blank on something that should be so simple!" Bulma was in a panic, that was for sure. While she tried to keep calm and cool around Vegeta, she couldn't escape the enigma she had set before herself.  
  
What do you get for the Saiyan Prince who has nothing?  
  
Half frustrated and her mind flooded with lame idea after lame idea, she picked up the phone receiver and dialed. Maybe Chi Chi could help her. After all, she had a Saiyan husband, who would know better than she would? While the line rang, she reached down and held the small charm Vegeta had made for her several months before. The tiny chunk of her lover's once-mighty home planet felt warm in her hand, like it always had. Finally, there was a click, and Chi Chi's voice came across the phone.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Chi Chi? It's Bulma." A few minutes of small talk and catching up on recent events ensued, and finally Bulma decided to bring up her little problem. "Anyway, Christmas is coming, and I have no clue what to get for Vegeta. I mean, what do you get for a Saiyan Prince? Or even just a Saiyan for that matter?"  
  
"Well, I know how you feel. My boys aren't the easiest people to shop for. Gohan, well, he's a little bit easier since he's young. But Goku, well, since he lived alone with his Grandfather for all those years, I guess he became immune to Christmas. Every year he says 'You don't have to get me anything, Chi," and every year, I manage to come up with something."  
  
"Wish I had your creativity, Chi Chi. We all know how Vegeta can be, and I'm afraid that if I get him the wrong thing, he'll rush out in a huff and lay waste to a small city. What the heck am I supposed to do?"  
  
Ideas were thrown back and forth for what seemed like hours. Fishing equipment, a bust because Vegeta had no patience for such a thing. Forget a weight set, he could toss those around like paper airplanes. A new car? He had no clue how to drive, and besides, could fly to wherever he wanted to go.  
  
He certainly wasn't the typical male, so tools, ties, and other such nonsense would be pointless. Chi Chi even had the insane idea of getting him a Hickory Farms Cheese Sampler, a popular Western gift for men. But Bulma scrapped that in a heartbeat. It was too corny. She needed something rather unique, seeing as how Vegeta himself was just as such.  
  
After another round of gift discussion, the girls decided that a shopping trip was in order. But how to get Vegeta to go along without trying to kill anyone? They'd managed to get him to go on vacation, though that turned out rather sour. But he'd still managed to function in public without beating the ever-loving heck out of the first person that rubbed him the wrong way.  
  
"The answer to that is obvious, Bulma! My Goku will go and keep him in line, and we might as well bring Krillin along, too. Those two got along pretty well on vacation, didn't they?" Chi Chi always had the knack for last minute solutions in the extreme.  
  
"Yeah, he and Krillin really did work well together, at least that one time. But I don't know about taking Goku. Vegeta's always going on and on about fighting him and, well, you know the drill."  
  
"I think Goku will keep him calm, Bulma. Vegeta wouldn't dare fight him now, not with the Androids coming."  
  
"You're right. He had a real problem with the little bit of that kid's story, the part about him being killed. I doubt he'd want to risk that in a fight with Goku. I have faith in him, Chi, but I doubt he can take your husband. He hasn't managed to yet."  
  
The decision was made. In three days, they would all hit the biggest mall in the East District. Now came the daunting task of getting Vegeta to cooperate and go along.  
  
  
Out at Kame House, Krillin sighed as he hung up the phone. _Oh great_, he thought. _Now I gotta try and deal with Vegeta in a mall. What the heck is it about me, anyway? Why do I get stuck with all the oddball jobs? And why is it that they suddenly all involve Vegeta? _He was still recovering from his adventure with the pompous Prince during their supposed vacation. Another trip on the Saiyan Rollercoaster might just drive him over the edge at this point.  
  
"Something on your mind, Krillin?" Master Roshi didn't look up from his "entertainment", simply speaking up without even looking at his discouraged student. He, as always, was watching the all-aerobics channel, stuck on the couch and glued to the plethora of cleavage and tight-fitting clothes on the screen.  
  
"You know, Master Roshi, it seems like I'm the only one Vegeta will get along with long enough to try and do anything normal. Bulma and Chi Chi just roped me into taking him to the mall in East District in a couple of days."  
  
"So what's wrong with that? I hear you and he made a pretty good team against those Amazons."  
  
"Yeah, but that was him acting on his emotions. This is just plain old Christmas shopping. He isn't being wronged, unless he takes being drug through that whole process as an insult to his pride." He paused for a moment, letting out another sigh. "And as if that wasn't enough, Chi Chi mentioned that Goku would be going along, too."  
  
"Well there, you have nothing to worry about, Krillin. With Goku there, Vegeta doesn't stand a chance of going off his rocker."  
  
"Sorry, Master Roshi, but I can't agree with ya. Goku is the whole reason Vegeta does what he does. With him there, the chances of Vegeta flying off the handle pretty much quadruple. And I know why I get to go. It's so I can play referee. Here I am, Goku's best friend, and the only guy, for some reason, that can work well with Vegeta one on one. Jeez, you teach a man to dance and suddenly they think you can train him to do anything."  
  
Roshi had lost his concentration early. The girls on the tube had changed their routine, and this particular one had really caught the lecherous master's attention. "What was that Krillin? Who'd you teach what?"  
  
Krillin suddenly realized that he'd just blurted out the one secret he had promised Vegeta he'd keep. Thankfully, though, Roshi hadn't been paying attention, and Krillin let out yet another sigh. This time, it was in relief. "Nothing, Master Roshi. I gotta go get ready for all this."  
  
"What the heck do you have to do three days in advance of a shopping trip?"  
  
"I have to meditate. I want to be as calm and clear-headed as possible if I'm gonna be baby-sitting Vegeta in public again." With that, he walked out of the door and took off into the sky, headed for the only place he knew he could get any peace and quiet at: Kami's Lookout.  
  
  
Vegeta stood on his favorite hilltop, overlooking the city he now called home. Sometimes the thought would sicken him, to know that he'd actually grown somewhat fond of this place, of the people he shared his life with. Another thought that sickened him to no end. The once proud and reclusive Prince, now opening up to a bunch of humans, and one in particular.  
  
That was one thought that, no matter what, always made him smile. The one person who loved him for who he was, not wanting him to change. Well, the violent nature was one change, but it was one that Vegeta didn't seem to mind. Now that he was no longer destroying planets for that tyrant, he had plenty of time to focus on his goal of becoming a Super Saiyan, and his goal of besting Kakkarot.  
  
These were the thoughts that pleased him, and brought him to decide that this new life of his wasn't so bad, after all. He could stand to live in this world, and tried his best to function as a normal part of it, when he wasn't training, that is. It was a world he was preparing to defend, whether his pride liked it or not. After all, dying at the hands of a machine didn't sit well with him.  
  
December in Japan was a very cold time, and Vegeta powered up his ki slightly to keep warm. He'd managed to gain enough control of his energy that he could do something like this without the glow being noticeable to the human eyes below. Once he again achieved a comfortable temperature, he looked out over the city below.  
  
While snow annoyed him to no end, he noticed that it made things look somewhat pleasant, from a distance. The Capsule Corp. compound took on a different charm. The remnants of the crater left after the GT explosion were invisible now, covered by a layer of soft white, as if it were never there at all. The evergreens of the outskirts were now flocked, and the contrast of white on green didn't look nearly as inhospitable as they did when he once walked underneath them. That time, looking up and yelling earned him a pile of snow in his face, a moment Bulma wouldn't let him soon forget.  
  
The odd towers capped in saucer like office dwellings looked like codgery old men with tufts of rapidly disappearing white hair, and lit windows resembling their eyes completing the picture.  
  
"Hmph." He growled as he realized his thoughts were becoming soft again. This planet was both a blessing and a curse to him, preserving the delicate balance within him that kept his emotions in order.  
  
Seeking something that wouldn't make him soft, he turned his thoughts to the coming Christmas gathering that Bulma had planned. The only person he was halfway looking forward to seeing was Krillin. The little bald monk had surprised him during the Amazon Conflict. Despite the fact that Krillin clearly didn't trust him, he still fought by his side, putting enough faith in his abilities to go along with his plan. Before that, Krillin had done the same on Namek. If the bald guy could trust him enough in combat, then he was worthy of his trust as well.  
  
Gohan was another one he wanted to see. Kakkarot's son was progressing in strength even faster than his father. His growth as a fighter was even starting to surpass the Prince's own development under Frieza. This intrigued Vegeta to no end. There was something deep inside that boy that he wanted to see for himself. It was possible that he was the key to unlocking the ancient power of the Saiyan Race.   
  
While the Namek was of no real consequence to him anymore, Piccolo was still on his "to see" list. Perhaps a little sparring match was in order as far as gifts were concerned. He respected Piccolo's fighting ethic and would welcome a challenge from him at any time. Vegeta was growing tired of fighting the drones in the GT and wanted a little live competition.  
  
His ears caught the distant sound of a snowmobile drawing close to his location. There was only one person who could possibly know that he was here, and now they were coming to join him. He must have lost track of time, wandering through his thoughts, oblivious to the passage of time.  
  
Bulma was coming. She must be worried about him again.  
  
The lights of her vehicle became visible as she made her way up the hill to the spot where Vegeta sat. He laughed to himself, amazed at how nothing, not even this cursed snow, could stop her from getting her way. Especially when her way was to be with him. Her love amazed him to no end, and fueled his own just the same.  
  
His gaze returned to the clouded sky above. Winter's cloud cover wouldn't allow him to see the stars from which he came. He rather enjoyed looking out there, remembering where he'd been, what he'd seen. And now that the season's dreariness blocked his view, he grew annoyed. But his thoughts still took his vision beyond the silver cloud line, out to the stars he once called home.  
  
The whine of the snowmobile's engine drew closer, and within moments she appeared out of the path, shutting the machine down and walking over to him. She took off her helmet and looked at her Prince, smiling. "How'd I know you'd be here?"  
  
"This is where I always come. And this is where you always find me when you worry about me."  
  
"Yeah, but this time, I'm not worried about you."  
  
"Oh really now? What brought you up here, then?"  
  
Bulma threw her arms around his waist and pulled herself closer to him. His ki was always so warm and comforting. And given this particular circumstance, she could use all the comfort she could get. "Well, you know how we talked earlier about Christmas coming and all. And you know that everyone is spending the week at the compound. And, well..."  
  
"What's the matter, Bulma? What are you getting at?"  
  
"Well, we need to take you Christmas shopping, and..."  
  
"Shopping? Now you want me to go shopping?" His anger raised a bit. Whenever she wanted him to go out in public, something always turned it to ruins. Their fiasco with the Amazons was proof enough of that fact. "Every time you want to take me somewhere, something always happens at the most inopportune time."  
  
"Well, I doubt anything will happen now. Even Evil has to take a holiday, doesn't it?"  
  
"Why are you asking me that question, hmmm?" He looked down at her with that smirk of his, halfway being sarcastic. "What makes you think that I know anything about being evil?"  
  
"Oh Vegeta, knock it off. Look. Krillin's going, and so's Goku. Chi Chi, my mom and I are going as well, and we figured that we could split off by gender. That way you have a couple of gift buying coaches who think at least something like you do."  
  
"Kakkarot, eh? Baldie I don't mind, but Kakkarot? He's not going to act like a complete buffoon, is he?"  
  
"Well, I can't promise you that he won't. But I'm sure Chi Chi will make sure he knows to stay on his best behavior. She knows how you get when you're around him, and doesn't want him coming home with more scars than gifts, if you know what I mean."  
  
"Well, I'll try and keep my actions in check. I can't make any promises. But as long as Kakkarot doesn't make a fool out of me in public, I'll refrain from what you'd call 'overreacting' and beating the living hell out of him."  
  
"You know, Vegeta, it's getting easier and easier to talk you into doing normal things. Maybe I should be worried about you."  
  
Vegeta laughed and pulled her closer to him, powering up a little bit more until his ki surrounded both of them. "I don' think you should worry, Bulma-Chan. If I'm going to live on this planet, I'd better get used to being able to function like everyone else. No matter how much it disgusts me, I don't need to draw any unnecessary attention to myself now, do I?"  
  
"I guess not. It's bad enough the business news programs are trying to figure out who my mystery man is. They've got cameras all over the compound, trying to figure out who the 'Forbes 500's most eligible bachelorette' is seeing now that her baseball playing ex is out of the picture."  
  
"Are you serious? They actually say that about you?"  
  
"What, don't you think I'm desirable?" She glared at him a bit, trying to bait him into saying the wrong thing so that she could call him on it and use it to her advantage over the holiday. But he was quick on his feet, and it wouldn't be that easy.  
  
"Of course I do. After all, I am attracted to the 'Forbes 500's most eligible bachelorette', aren't I? And while I'm on that subject, I think it's safe to say that you're no longer eligible, don't you think?"  
  
All she could do was sigh and lay her head on his shoulder. "You never cease to amaze me, Vegeta..."  
  
  
The next few days were relatively normal enough, considering all of the fuss over the coming holiday. The compound was being decorated by the employees and the Briefs, while Vegeta trained the time away in the GT. Finally, the day of the shopping trip had arrived.  
  
Vegeta knew that this day would somehow go wrong, and his premonitions were first confirmed as he awoke to the ever annoying sound of Bulma's alarm clock blaring it's harsh tone at an insanely high volume. Before, they'd had normal alarm clocks, and he would simply smash them to bits if they woke him the wrong way. But Bulma hadn't let the data from the GT go to waste, and developed a casing that could withstand anything short of a good-sized Ki blast.  
  
After cursing Bulma's high IQ, he rolled himself out of their bed and made his way to the bathroom for a nice, relaxing shower. The second confirmation of his bad feeling came when he stepped in to what he thought would be a nice hot stream of water. Instead, the shower head was producing nothing but icy cold water, which startled the hell out of him. Cursing the computer systems that controlled water temperature, he resigned to taking a bone-chilling shower instead.  
  
A very stiff and angry Vegeta stepped out of the shower and toweled off. Checking himself in the mirror, he noticed he was growing a beard again. Reaching for his razor, he began the shaving process. A process, however, that ended with him putting on several bandages. Once again, he'd lost to the only enemy he could never defeat without losing his dignity.  
  
_With everything else going wrong this morning, how could the shopping trip with Baldie and Kakkarot go any better? I have a feeling that it's going to be very difficult keeping my promise to Bulma._ Vegeta, his pride beaten down a little by the dreaded razor, went to the closet to pick out some clothes. Bulma always brought home outfits people wore in public, hoping that someday Vegeta would actually get out of the GT and wear something besides his training gear. His recent vacation fiasco was the first such test, and aside from the trouble they had, it had gone rather well.  
  
A friend of Krillin's had once given the monk some of his old clothes, and somehow they made their way to his closet. Apparently, while Bulma was visiting Master Roshi's island, Krillin gave them to her, stating that "they might fit Vegeta better." Bulma had mentioned that Krillin's friend was something she called a "metal head," and the outfit consisted of a pair of black denim jeans cut off at the knee along with a black T-shirt. The shirt had a strange symbol on it, with the word Journey above it. On the back, it had a list of cities across the world. Vegeta figured that it was a record of someone's travels, otherwise it wouldn't say Journey on it.  
  
The shorts fit well enough, though he noted that they were a little tight. Flexing his muscles a bit, he managed to stretch the denim enough to be comfortable. The shirt fit just they way he wanted, however. His training gear was always nearly skin tight, accentuating his ever growing physique, a constant visual measuring stick that proved he was surpassing that clown Kakkarot.  
  
By this time, Bulma had awoken and begun to stir about the room, getting her own day started. She noticed Vegeta in the closet, and decided to pop in and see what he was wearing. What she saw nearly sent her body into spin cycle. There stood Vegeta, his back to her, wearing what she thought was the simplest yet sexiest thing he had ever worn. She remembered getting the outfit from Krillin some time back. _Boy, that gift paid off. Krillin's going to freak out when he finds out how right he was. Well, at least in my opinion, anyway.  
_  
"Ready to go shopping, 'Geta?"  
  
Vegeta put his head down for a moment, then turned to Bulma, smiling. "Now, you know I don't like that nickname you've given me. It isn't fitting of a Prince, and..."  
  
She put her finger up to his lips, stopping him mid sentence."I don't want to have this conversation again. You're going to live with me, you're going to get used to it. Just remember who's always cleaning up your messes and fixing the stuff you decimate. You can handle having a nick..."  
  
Vegeta put his own finger to her lips, catching her off guard and getting her to release her own finger's hold. "Got you. If there's anything more that I love about you, it's the fact that I can get a rise out of you with just a thought. Now hurry up and get ready. The faster we get this day over with, the happier I'll be." With that, he walked out of the closet and back into the room to finish getting himself ready.  
  
Bulma remained behind for a moment. He'd baited her again, and she even initiated it. She walked right into his trap, and she fell for it. Hook, line and sinker. Flushed, she still managed to laugh at herself for being sucked into Vegeta's little inside jokes. "Oh, Vegeta." She got her wits back and resigned herself to picking out something that would at least halfway matched what Vegeta was wearing. She herself hadn't banked on his wearing that outfit, and found herself unprepared. "While I'm out, I'm going to have to find something for that. KAMI did he look good..."  
  
  
After they had finished getting dressed, the pair made their way down to the kitchen, where they found that Goku and Chi Chi had already arrived, and were now sitting at the breakfast table. Bulma's mother was there, cooking a mountain of pancakes and bacon.  
  
"Oh, there you are, you two. Look who decided to come a little early for the shopping trip! Good thing I know how you Saiyans like to eat, Vegeta dear. That way my food stuffs are always stocked in bulk, so I'm ready for almost anything!"  
  
"Mom, don't..."  
  
"It's alright, Bulma. I don't mind. In fact, I've grown rather used to her calling me that." With that said, Vegeta sat down at the table, keeping his eyes on his rival the whole time.  
  
"Wow, Vegeta." Goku had a big grin on his face as he spoke.Who'd have thought that you'd get used to everyday life on Earth. You didn't even complain about being called Vegeta de..." He was cut off by Vegeta's icy glare, not to mention the Prince's palm in his face. His grin changed to a look of surprise.   
  
"While I don't mind our hostess saying it, Kakkarot, you are a different matter altogether. So I suggest you drop that line of conversation, now."  
  
"OK, Vegeta, calm down. I was just kidding you know. Anyway, I can't wait to go shopping! It's been forever since I've been to a mall! I wonder if they still have that place they called the Arcade."  
  
"I'm pretty sure they do, Goku. The mall we're going to has the biggest one in Japan, I'm pretty sure." Bulma made her way to the table after piling a good helping of food onto her plate. She set it down in front of her chair and seated herself. Picking up her fork, she continued. "But remember, we're not going to play the latest games. We're going to take care of Christmas shopping, and you and Krillin are going to help the Anti-Martha Stewart over here."  
  
For a moment, Vegeta allowed his gaze to break from Goku and cast itself on Bulma. How he hated it when she called him these names, especially in front of his hated adversary. But he had promised not to make a scene, and his hunger had taken over, anyway. All he could manage before getting up for his food was his trademark "Hrmph."  
  
Goku leaned over to Bulma and whispered to her. "Are you sure he's not going to flip out and blow the place sky high? He doesn't seem to be in a good mood today, you know."  
  
Bulma giggled a bit, and whispered back to him. "I made him promise to be on his best behavior. I don't think he'll be any trouble at all, Goku."  
  
  
After breakfast, the women resigned themselves to the kitchen, while Goku and Vegeta retired to the living room to wait for Krillin. Flipping on the television, Goku started channel surfing until he found a martial arts competition on a sports network. "Check these guys out, Vegeta."  
  
"Hmph. Humans who think they're the epitome of strength and skill. If they ran into even the weakest of our group, they'd take off in the other direction, screaming bloody murder."  
  
"Yeah, I guess you're right. So anyway, have you figured out what you're getting Bulma for Christmas yet?"  
  
This caught the Saiyan Prince off guard. He hadn't really given a thought to getting Bulma something, let alone trying to choose something special. He felt himself going flush with embarrassment, and resolved to enlist his rival's help in making a choice. "Actually, Kakkarot, since I don't know much about this whole 'Christmas' thing, I was going to ask for your input on the matter." Deep down within him, his pride began to boil as it screamed in defiance of the move, but he kept the urges at bay.  
  
Goku himself was a bit taken back by the request. He'd never known Vegeta to ask for help with anything since the day he landed on Earth. "Sure, Vegeta, I'd be glad to help you. And I'm sure Krillin wouldn't mind lending a hand, either. This being your first official Christmas and all."  
  
"As much as I hate to admit it, I appreciate your help in the matter, Kakkarot."  
  
"Don't worry. I won't hold it against you or think of you as any less an opponent. I'm still going to hold you to your usual standards, and you know I'll always see you as my greatest rival."  
  
"That's good, Kakkarot. Because if you let down your guard at all when it comes to me, you know I'll overpower you in half a heartbeat."  
  
"Well, let's put that aside, alright? Krillin's going to be here any minute. He said he was coming from Kami's Lookout. And here I thought he was living with Master Roshi out at Kami House." Goku knew that it was rare for Krillin to visit the Lookout at all unless something big was happening. And while the coming Android threat was a big deal to everyone, it was still over two years off.   
  
Before Goku could sort out any more reasons, the doorbell rang. Bulma's mother came running out of the kitchen to answer it, and as luck would have it, it was Krillin. "Oh, we were starting to worry about you, Krillin! Glad to see you made it."  
  
"Are you kidding? I wouldn't miss a Capsule Corp. Christmas party for the world! Hey Goku!" The tone of his voice softened a bit as his greetings brought him to the Saiyan Prince. "Hey, Vegeta."  
  
"Hello, Baldiie. Ready for another shopping trip?"  
  
That response set Krillin back a bit. While he'd seen Vegeta's more sociable side once before, he never expected to see it again. "Um, yeah, I guess I am. But this is a little different, seeing as how it's Christmas. Guess you've never done this sort of thing before, right?"  
  
"What could go wrong. After all, you and Kakkarot are coming to help me, right?"  
  
Everyone noticed the sarcasm in Vegeta's voice, a tell-tale sign that, while he was annoyed with the prospect of Christmas shopping, he was still trying to make the most of it. In his own little way, of course. Most of the group had learned to deal with Vegeta's methods of handling social interaction since he had come to live with the Briefs.  
  
Goku, ever the innocent, fun-loving soul, simply started laughing. "Well, I think it'll be fun, you guys. It's been forever since we all did anything like this, not to mention it's Vegeta's first time. I for one can't wait to get started!"  
  
At that moment, Bulma, Chi Chi and Mrs. Brief came in to the living room. With the breakfast dishes done and clean-up completed, the group was finally ready to shove off.  
  
"You boys ready? We have alot of shopping to do today!" Bulma looked at Vegeta, who was sporting his usual frown. She knew he really didn't want to go, but then again, she also knew that he wouldn't try and get out of his promise. There was no honor in breaking a promise, not even to the most evil of Saiyans. After all, a Saiyan's honor was everything.  
  
Chi Chi, on the other hand, was looking at Vegeta with a fair amount of disdain. She didn't trust him any further than she could throw him (which, for her being the strongest woman on Earth, was quite a distance). No matter how many times Bulma and Krillin told her about what he did during the Amazon conflict, she still didn't care for his presence. But her husband was here, and she knew he could handle Vegeta with no trouble. Still, she knew she would find it very hard to keep herself from attacking the Saiyan Prince herself. It wouldn't take much for him to set her off.  
  
"Alright!" Krillin's smile grew as he rallied the troops. "Let's do some shopping!"  
  
  
The mall. Home to hundreds of stores, dozens of food stands, den of teenage popularity contests. The place where one goes to find, well, everything. There isn't a specialty store that the mall doesn't have. Well, except for one.  
  
The mall most certainly didn't have a store to cater to the crabby Saiyan-no-Ouji.  
  
As the group walked into the superplex that is the West City Mega Mall, Vegeta couldn't help but frown. He knew that he had promised Bulma that he'd be on his best behavior, but this, this was a little more than the Saiyan Prince wanted to even try to handle. There had been alot of people at Club Zero, but not like this. There were literally thousands of people crammed into the halls of the shopping complex, and this made him very uneasy. He turned to Bulma and whispered to her.  
  
"I can't believe I let you talk me into this."  
  
"Vegeta, if you're going to live on this planet, you'ld better get used to some of the customs. I can't have you blowing things up every time something new that you don't like comes along. Now, you and the boys go off and do your shopping. Chi Chi, mom and I will meet you at the food court around seven. And please, Vegeta, try not to lose your temper."  
  
"Hrumph" was his only reply as he followed Goku and Krillin into the malls gigantic glass foyer.  
  
The first store that the boys came to was a bookseller. Goku had gotten the third degree from his wife over getting books for Gohan, and he didn't want to tick her off. Despite being one of the strongest beings in the universe, Chi Chi was the only other person he truely feared. "Well, guys, I might as well get this out of the way. Help me pick out some good books for Gohan, would ya?"  
  
Krillin went one way, Goku another, and Vegeta picked a random aisle for himself and began to see what this place had to offer. "Silly Kakkarot, afraid of his mate. 'Get a book for the brat' she says. She might as well have said 'jump,' because she knows he'll say 'how high.' Pathetic." Passing by books for teenagers, role playing game manuals, techno thrillers and refference books, he found it difficult to locate something that Gohan might like. "Now, what the hell do you get for a half-Saiyan brat?" It was then that he saw the book that he would get for Gohan, his gift to the son of his rival. He quickly snaked it up and took it to the counter. Thankfully, Bulma had supplied him with a Capsule Corp. credit line, so payment was swift and painless.  
  
It was then that Krillin came up to his one-time partner and smiled. "Hey, Vegeta. Goku's going to shop for something for Chi Chi. This is the perfect time to go and get our gifts for him, don't you think?"  
  
A gift for Kakkarot? "Alright, baldie. Let's go." He hadn't seen anything here that Bulma would like, and was itching to get somewhere where he could at least try to find something for her.  
  
  
The Novelty Palace. The perfect place to get a gift for a dimwittted Saiyan, in Vegeta's opinion. Krillin thought it would be fun, too, and they headed there post haste. Upon arrival, they found hundreds of gag gifts, wannabe collectables, and other such nonsense. Krillin knew what he wanted to get for Goku, and ran striaght for it. Vegeta, on the other hand, once again resigned himself to looking around, trying to find something for his rival. It had to be something that would reflect what he thought of Goku, and of course, that was a baffoon. After a few moments of browsing, a clerk came up to him.  
  
"Can I help you find soemthing, sir?"  
  
Vegeta, for once, was impressed. This human had shown him the respect he thought he deserved, even though he knew that the man had no idea who, or what, he was. "Yes. I'm looking for a gift for someone, but I can't seem to figure out what to get him. What do you get for a blithering idiot?"  
  
The clerk was a bit taken aback by Vegeta's remark, but composed himself and thought of something. "I think I have the perfect gift in mind, sir. Please follow me."   
  
Vegeta cracked an evil smile, and raised his eyebrow a bit. This human didn't look too much smarter than Goku, so he thought that whatever he had in mind would fit perfectly. "Lead the way."  
  
Krillin, in the meantime, had purchased his gift for his best friend, and was now looking around, trying to find the Saiyan Prince. "Jeez, you'ld think with a haircut like his he'd be easy to find." Up and down the aisles of the store he searched, untill, while walking down one particular aisle, he heard Vegeta's voice.  
  
"Hey baldie. Come here and tell me what you think of this." It was coming from the next aisle.  
  
Krillin looked back and forth, making sure noone was watching, and then lept up over the shelves seperating him from the next row, where he landed to find Vegeta and a store clerk, staring at an item and smiling devilishly. "What's up? Did you find something for Goku yet?"  
  
Without breaking his smile or his gaze, he simple pointed his finger and spoke softly. "Do you think that works as a gift for Kakkarot?"  
  
Krillin looked at what Vegeta was pointing to, and he himself smiled. "Perfect."  
  
  
A short time later, the monk and the Saiyan were wandering the halls of the mall, looking into different stores for Goku. They finally found him in, of all places, a lingerie shop, standing in front of some racy underwear, scratching his head.  
  
"Now this, Krillin, is just too much. Look at that idiot. Picking out some underclothes for his mate so he can get himself excited. Unreal."  
  
"Now come on, Vegeta. You can't tell me you wouldn't like to see Bulma in some of this stuff, right?"  
  
The Prince of Saiyans blushed for a moment, and then regained his composure. "Honestly, baldie, you're right. Now let's go see what's taking him so long."  
  
They kept their power levels down to the point where Goku wouldn't notice them coming, not like he was paying attention anyway, and snuck up behind their companion. Krillin spoke first. "Hey Goku. I think Chi Chi would look good in that one over there."  
  
Goku jumped, startled by his friend. "Uh, Krillin! Jeez you scared the heck outta me! Where's Vegeta?"  
  
"Behind you, Kakkarot." Vegeta reached out and put his hand on Goku's shoulder, startling him again.  
  
"Man, you guys are evil! Don't sneak up on me like that, OK? It's bad enough that I'm in this store and have no clue what to get for Chi Chi, which makes me nervous to begin with..."  
  
"Oh, come on, Kakkarot. You know perfectly well that I expect you to be ready for me at all times. If I catch you off gaurd like that at the wrong time, you probably won't survive to reprimand me."  
  
"Yeah, whatever, Vegeta. Now come on, guys, help me pick something out for Chi Chi."  
  
They shopped around for a bit, looking at this and that, until finally, they decided on the ensamble that would best suit Goku's wife, and made Goku himself drool ever the slightest. After paying for it, the three left to do some more shopping. Just as they left the stor and headed down the mall's main hallway, Bulma came out of the shop's dressing room, carrying an armload of sensual garments.  
  
"I don't understand it. We've been in here since we got here, and I can't find anything that I think Vegeta would like to see me in. Let's face it, Chi, I just don't have the body for this stuff."  
  
"Sure you do, Bulma. Now come on, try this one on. I'm willing to bet it'll be the one, and we have to get done before your mom finds you in here checking out fancy lingerie to wear for Vegeta."  
  
"Alright, Chi. Here we go again."  
  
After finally deciding on a piece she liked, Bulma struck out on her own, trying to find a gift for Vegeta. While she had shopped for a Saiyan many times before, it was all for Goku, never for someone like Vegeta. In the months leading up to this day, she'd been dreading this moment. She tried and tried, but she couldn't come up with anything to get for him. She had hoped that browsing the mall's stores would give her some ideas.  
  
For nearly two hours, she tried store after store, but came up empty. She'd easily found gifts for everyone else, but nothing for her Prince. At last, the time came to meet everyone at the food court. Dejected, Bulma headed off to meet the rest of the crew. She walked slowly down the monsterous hallway, people passing by her going both ways. But she was oblivious to them all, hanging her head low as she continued on. All these bags, filled with gifts for everyone, but the one gift she wanted to find the most was absent among them.  
  
Arriving at the food court, she found everyone already there, waiting for her. Each of them had armloads of gifts, except for Vegeta, who had tricked Goku into carrying his packages.  
  
"Did you find everything OK, Bulma dear?" Her mother's ever present smile and always cheerful attitude weighed heavily on her ears, but like it had every time before, it picked up her spirits a bit.  
  
"Yeah, mom. Everything's good to go. Everyone ready to go home?"  
  
"You bet! I can't wait to get this stuff to the car, get home and get some food. Standing around here made me some kind of hungry!" Goku lead the charge, and together the group left the West City Mega Mall, packages in tow.  
  
As they walked out to the car, Vegeta cast a sly eye towards Bulma. He hadn't found anything for her, even though he himself had wandered the halls and stores. He wondered what she had gotten him, and felt a little down that he had not been able to do the same. As he crawled into the car, he closed his eyes and sat back, trying to figure out what he would do. Christmas was now only a few days away.   
  
  
December 23rd. Two days before Christmas. The entire gang had gathered at the Capsule Corp compound for the holidays. Tienshenhan and Chaotzu had come down from their isolated mountain home. Master Roshi had taken the Baby Gammela and rode in, albeit a bit dizzy when he arrived. Yamcha, Puar and Oolong arrived just the day before (it had taken some persuasion on the shapeshifters' part, since Yamcha was still afraid after his altercation with Vegeta), and even the Ox King had made the trip.  
  
Outside, the snow had finished falling for the day, and it was piled up in rather large drifts here and there. The air was crisp and cold, and a slight breeze carried some of the ligher snow around with it. All over the compound, decorations had been hung by employees and the Brief family, giving the entire place a healthy dose of Christmas cheer.  
  
It was the perfect atmosphere, and everyone was in good spirits.  
  
In the kitchen, Mrs. Brief, Bulma and Chi Chi were busy preparing dinner for the next night. Turkey always took a long time to prepare, and they wanted it to simmer overnight, just to make sure that it properly basted. Down in the GT room Vegeta sequestered himself, working up for a sparring match he wanted with his rival. Goku was training as well, in his own way: floating like a hawk around the kitchen area, waiting for extras and whatever else he could get his hands on, filling his neverending   
  
Up in the living room, Krillin, Gohan, Chaotzu and Oolong were busy racing each other, playing a videogame while Puar, Yamcha and Tien looked on. The Ox King was busy trying to get his old Master's attention, since Roshi was glued to a TV in the den, watching a women's exercise program on TV.  
  
The group decided that, since so much effort was being put into dinner for Christmas Eve, that this night's meal would be pizza. The delivery boy had a hard time bringing the boxes to the door, since there were so many. After all, they did have two full Saiyans and a half-Saiyan to feed. After two trips (that's to and from the pizza parlor, not just the car), the gang was ready to eat.  
  
In their room that night, Vegeta and Bulma didn't say much. They weer both somewhat upset, having not been able to find each other gifts. But neither of them knew that the other had failed. Each was worried that the other had gotten them something, and they wouldn't be able to return the favor. After a while, the silence was broken.  
  
"So, think you're ready for tomorrow's chaos, 'Geta?"  
  
In Vegeta's mind, he resolved that this wasn't the time to be criticising her nickname for him. "I'm not sue. But as long as your moron ex and Kakkarot don't do anything stupid, I should be able to manage."  
  
Bulma paused for a moment, thinking. "This is your first Christmas since you've been on Earth, isn't it..."  
  
"Yes, Bulma, it is."  
  
"Well, even though I know you're not into these sort of things, I hope you enjoy it." She rolled over and looked at him. "Happy memories are few and far between for you, and I hope you can at least use this time to make one for yourself."  
  
Vegeta rolled over to face Bulma, and thought to himself. She was right. Happy memories weren't things that had occoured very often in his lifetime. He looked at her, and smiled. "As long as I'm here with you, I'll always have a happy memory. Now, get some sleep, Bulma-chan. We have a busy day ahead of us."  
  
"Yeah, you're right. Goodnight, 'Geta."  
  
"Goodnight, 'Ulma." He chuckled to himself.  
  
"Smartass." was Bulma's only reply.  
  
  
At 4:45 AM sharp, the alarm clock on Vegeta's side of the bed sounded, and like a flash, the Saiyan Prince was on his feet, a smile already crossing his lips. Today, he would spar with Kakkarot, and today, he would not lose. And he wanted to get into his mind, so he chose the ungodly holiday hour of 5am to wake him up suddenly and get him into the GT. The moron had spent the entire day before hovering around the Kitchen like a jackal looking for prey. He had eaten almost one fourth of the food they had bought.  
  
Bulma knew better, though, and everyone was thankful for it. She knew how Goku liked to eat. After all, she had known him the longest of anyone in the house. She had been there, right there fromt he very beginning. So she bought enough food to satisfy at least three hundred full course dinners. And in the day before alone, Goku had slammed down at least one hundred and thirty of them, give or take. Factor in Gohan and Vegeta, and you have the equivalent to a small army to feed in comparison.  
  
Needless to say, Goku was well stuffed, and would be sluggish still. While a Saiyan can put down a mountain, it takes quite a bit to digest it when they're not fully active on a regular basis.  
  
After throwing on his training gear, he made sure to totally supress his power level and opened his bedroom door, being careful not to wake Bulma up. Slowly, he crept down the hallway and managed to quietly gain entry into Goku's room.  
  
Now it's my turn, Kakkarot. This is my Christmas Gift to myself. It's time to remind you who your greatest rival really is.  
  
He powered up his Ki high enough to allow him to float over the still sleeping Goku. Chi Chi had fallen asleep downstairs with Gohan after spending the whole day cooking, so he was alone. He glanced over at the alarm clock on the nightstand and waited for the exact moment 5 AM hit. And when it did, he let go with everything he had.  
  
"KAKKAROT!!! Time to get up, you pathetic excuse for a Saiyan! The Androids will be here soon, and I find you sleeping on the job! You need to be down in the Gravity Trainer room with me, now get up, get dressed, and move your sorry ass! Come on Kakkarot, double time!"  
  
Goku, startled all to heck by Vegeta's tirade, shot out of bed, screaming bloody murder. He had no idea what was going on, he only heard the instructions the voice was shouting at him. Once he finally settled down (after getting all of his training gear on), he looked over his bed to see Vegeta, floating in mid air, laughing his head off.  
  
"You know, sometimes Kakkarot," said the Saiyan Prince between fits of laughter. "It's moments like this that make me not want to kill you. If I did, who would I get some decent laughs from."  
  
"Vegeta, you really are a creep, you know that? Now, do you want a sparring match or not."  
  
"I thought you'ld never say that. After you."  
  
  
Gohan awoke to the sounds of thunder and rumbling of the compound's main house unit.At first, his thoughts raced, and he looked over at his clock to make sure it was still Christmas and not the day the Androids were arriving. And then, he focused his senses and knew what was causing the disturbances.  
  
"Wow. Dad and Vegeta are really going at it. Intense. They're not messing around at all."  
  
Bulma had decided that, while the Gravitational Trainer was still of good use as a spaceship and part time training facility, it just simply not enough to suit Vegeta's long-term training needs. She knew that he'd need a bigger space to work in, and they just happened to have an underground lab that used to house the large-capacity storage capsule R&D unit. Leaving the original GT in it's old room, she copied the technology into a larger scale facility, about the cubic equivalent of two football fields. Here, anyone could work on their movements with greater freedom, and also face more opponents. From the original GT lab, she had an underground staircase built, leading to the new GT room, which was under the R&D Building itself.  
  
Gohan had been given a new tour of the facility by Bulma earlier in the week, and found his way down to it's entrance behind the GT Ship unit. The door was already open, an oversight by his father and Vegeta. He suppressed his energy and made his way down the stairs, careful not to try and bother them. Everyone knew that Vegeta did not like to be disturbed when he was training. He reached the bottom of the stairs and into the locker area. Directly across from him was the entrance to the main chamber, a heavy, windowless door, no doubt locked. On the left wall, the entrance to the Control Room. From there, Gohan knew that he could watch what was going on within.  
  
When he finally remembered the key sequence to bring up the monitor, he stood back and gasped at what he saw. His father and Vegeta were indeed going all-out, moving faster and fighting like Gohan had never seen before. Either they felt the urgency of the coming Android problem, or there was something more driving it. Their rivalry was strong and heated, this Gohan knew. But could it possibly take them this far?  
  
Vegeta knew it would be time soon. The would have to end their match and rejoin the rest of the world. He wished he had more time, he was finally mathing Goku blow for blow. If it wasn't for his advantage in becoming a Super Saiyan, he would indeed have a chance to defeat him, once and for all. While that hope was lost to him at the moment, he did use the time to try and improve himself. Every time he fought Goku at his personal best, his strength increased by leaps and bounds. He longed for the day when the difference in their power levels would vanish in the blink of an eye, so he could finally challange his nemesis on equal ground.  
  
His other worry, of course, was Goku's brat, Gohan. Even though only half Saiyan, he showed remarkable power. While he did not yet know how to unlock that power, he had shown glimpses of it many times. Even against Vegeta himself, Gohan exploded in a way that caught even his friends off guard. Could the halfbreed be stronger? Could it just be that when you cross a Saiyan and a Human, you get a brand new super species?  
  
To have an offspring, Vegeta thought to himself as he reared back, powering up his ki for one last blast at Goku. A son that could challange Kakkarot's brat, one that would have the chance to be stronger and smarter in combat. A son that I could train, one that could carry on my legacy, the Saiyan legacy...  
  
"Here you go, Kakkarot! An early Christmas Gift! Merry Christmas!" With everything he had short of his finishers, he let an incredible energy wave loose, and it headed straight for Goku. He was laughing now, thuroughly enjoying this last great effort.  
  
At the last possible second, Goku powered up into Super Saiyan mode and caught the blast without even flinching, and collapsed it into nothing, ending the attack, and the match. "Sorry, Vegeta. But you still have a step to go. You'll get there, I know you will. You just have to get there your own way."  
  
"One of these days, Kakkarot, it'll be you and me, for all the marbles. Someday, we'll fight on even terms. Until that day comes, I suggest you keep preparing yourself, because rest assured that's exactly what I'll be doing."  
  
Goku powered down and reacquired his trademark childish smile and wide eyed expression. "Now come on, I've gotta get a snack before dinner, and the boys wanted to go outside in the snow for a little while. Are you going to come outside with us?"  
  
"Certainly not. Why the hell would I want to go outside in that blistering cold, just to play with a bunch of frozen water molecules? Give me a break, Kakkarot. I'll see you at dinner." With that, Vegeta left the GT Lab and made his way back toward his room.  
  
Goku himself left the lab and went into the locker area, still looking at the door Vegeta had left through. "Boy, even around the holidays, he's edgy..."  
  
  
Thanks to Bulma's quick thinking, lunch on Christmas Eve turned out to be a foregone conclusion. She had purchased a large amount of lunchmeats, lettuce, and quite a few loaves of wheat bread in preperation for the defense of the main meal. Rather than have two and a half Saiyans attacking dinner before it was time, she decided that an abundance of sandwhiches could fend them off. It worked, and earned her a rare compliment from Chi Chi, who was impressed with her forethought when it came to living with a starving superbeing.  
  
After Lunch, Vegeta found himself up in his room, tryind to decide what to do with the rest of his day. Everyone else had gone outside to roll around in the snow. He had already flipped through all the channels on the television, twice, and was quickly growing bored.  
  
"Remind me to abolish holidays when I take control of the universe. This is insufferable."  
  
Just then, there was a knock at the door, followed by the quick turning of the knob. It could only be one person.  
  
"'Geta?"  
  
"What do you want?"  
  
"Everybody's wondering where you're at. We're all outside. Gohan and Goku are building a snowman with Chaotzu, Tien and Krillin are..."  
  
"Why would I care to go out into that frigid nonsense, and why should I care what the others are doing in it?"  
  
"Vegeta."  
  
"What did I say now?"  
  
"Nothing. But you need to understand something."  
  
"And what, praytell, is that?" He layed back on the bed, hands behind his head, staring up at the ceiling.  
  
Bulma snapped. It wasn't the bad snap, though. She was hell bent on getting her point across to him, and it was all going to come out at once.  
  
"I'm sure it's something you'll understand pretty well, actually. It's Christmas. Here on Earth, it's a time to be with loved ones, friends, and most importantly, family. And whether you like it or not, mister Prince of all Saiyans, you are now a part of this family. That's something you haven't had in a long time, Vegeta. You had your father taken from you, you had your entire race taken from you." She turned away from him and walked towards the balcony door.  
  
"And now you're here, Vegeta. You're not without a family anymore. You have one right here.You have people who care about you despite all the hell you give them. Even Goku cares, Vegeta. But most of all..."  
  
"Most of all, you care, Bulma. Right?"   
  
She turned to see him sitting on the bed, staring straight at her. She hated it when he did that. When he gave her that look, she just couldn't help but melt. "Yes, Vegeta, I care. I want you to be with me this Christmas. I want you to be with me and all of my friends. I don't care what they think of us, Vegeta. They love me regardless. But I want to be out there with them." She paused, then walked over to him, kneeling down and taking his cheek in her hand. "And I want to be out there with you, too."  
  
He couldn't believe what she was asking him. She was asking him to put his pride away, totally, even for just a little while, and go show the world that he loved Bulma, and cared enough to see her happy. Every part of his body seemed to say "hold up a second, here" as her words sank in. He questioned himself for the first time in a long time. Did he have the strength to leave his pride behind? Did he have the strength to show the world that the cold, heartless killer was in fact capable of an emotion such as love?  
  
The answer came simply enough. He smiled, and took her cheek in his own hand.  
  
"Let me get some gear on. It's cold as hell out there. But don't expect me to play nice with everyone, got it?"  
  
"Fair enough. Now come on, hurry up!"  
  
  
On the way down the satairs, Vegeta made sure that everything was in order. He didn't want to have to face another bitter cold Earth winter, and for the most part, he didn't have to. What he couldn't udnerstand is all the fun in going outside to fool around in the frigid weather. When he was sure that he was as air tight as he could get, he moved towards the sliding glass door that led out onto the western yard.  
  
The west yard was nothing short of huge. Easily taking up enough space for a sports arena, there was plenty of room for shinanigans on this day. Large drifts of snow had piled up on the buildings bordering the yard, and had also blown up in smaller piles within they yard. Gohan and Chaotzu had abandoned their snowman in favor of digging tunnels and forts out of the drifts, aided by their super speed and strength. It didn't take them long to each hollow out a fortress.  
  
Soon after, they had begun lobbing snowballs at each other, and for the most part, missed each other. But then, Chaotzu landed a shot right between the eyes, clouding Gohan's vision.  
  
"I got you! I got you!" The marionette-like man laughed as he celebrated his small victory.  
  
Gohan, sitll unable to see clearly, packed himself a snowball and prepared to fire back. "You're gonna get it good for that one, Chaotzu!" He couldn't see what direction he was throwing, but he let the snowball go anyway, and then tried to clear his eyes a bit.  
  
And that snowball found it's way right onto the side of Vegeta's head, just as he was coming outside though the door.  
  
Of course, Vegeta's first reaction was that of anger. After all, it's the way he'd reacted most of his life to most any situation. But then, he looked in the direction where the snowball came from. Closest to him was the little puppet kid, and beyond him he saw Gohan. _So, Kakkarot's brat did this, eh?_ Quickly, he came up with his scheme for revenge.  
  
Vegeta knew, as Goku did, that there was something about Gohan. They had both seen his incredible outbursts of power, and Vegeta even found himself on the receiving end of one of them. He dare not attack the boy, for he'd not only have him to deal with, but Bulma as well, not to mention Goku.  
  
No, his revenge would be much sweeter, and he'd get everyone else in the process. The best part of it all was the fact that it'd be seen as nothing but harmless fun.  
  
In a flash, Vegeta was on the ground, scooping up a handful of the cold, wet white menace he so dreaded, rolled it into a ball, and fired it at his rival's brat. Almost instantly, Gohan was knocked to the ground as the snowball hit him in the shoulder.  
  
"If you're going to start a snowball fight, Gohan, at least tell me first! Now..." Vegeta looked around at the others in the yard, picking out his next target and preparing to make another snowball. "Who else wants to share some Christmas Cheer?"  
  
With that began the biggest, most rowdy snowball battle that Capsule Corp., or the world for that matter, had ever seen. Snowballs flew wildly and at random, with the Earth Special Forces all going against each other. Hits, misses, splattered snow on the side of the house - it didn't take long for them all to dig up a good portion of the snow in the west yard.  
  
  
Dinner that evening went off without a hitch, and everyone made their way to the living room afterwards to sit down and chew the fat. The standing rule this year was no talk of Androids, they were sure enough that they were coming and would pose a serious threat to them all. Instead, talk turned to memories of days long past, when the gang had first met and come together. And, in each and every case, it was Goku that had brought them to this point. He was thier common thread. Even Vegeta had to admit that.  
  
Though it didn't really surprise anyone, Master Roshi managed to get in a few laughs after drinking too much egg nog. He pretended to fix his hair, or what hair he actually had left, in the reflection from Krillin's head, and then got the bright idea to get a marionette control and tie it up to Chaotzu, turning him into a puppet and having him act out comedic versions of ancient Japanese folk tales. Yamcha had a little too much nog himself, and soon passed out, sprawled out on the floor behind the couch.  
  
As everyone talked, Vegeta remained on his chair, sulking just a bit. He didn't want to seem too unhappy to everyone, but he couldn't let his discomfort go unnoticed, either. Everyone else was being sentimental about thier times together in years past. But what did he have to wax nostalgic about? Christmas wasn't even a concept familiar to him until this past year, and the years prior to that didn't really yield many happy memories he could share with them.  
  
Outside, the sky slowly grew dark, and a light snow began to fall. Vegeta turned his attention to this minor spectacle, thinking of how snow had never fallen on his homeworld. Despite the fact that he detested the white menace, he somehow found himself seeing it in a different light. If he concentrated his hearing, a feat not easily accomplished with Goku's mouth running, he could hear the tiny flakes of snow hitting the ground. In time, it came to sound like a tiny symphony of both chaos and serenity, causing him to relax a bit.  
  
Bulma had begun to notice how distant Vegeta was, and had been turning to see what he was up to every now and again. She saw him looking outside, and even managed to catch a glimpse of the tiny smile accross his face. He never smiled much, and she'd learned to look a bit harder to try and find one on his usually sullen visage. It was small, but it was there.  
  
Ever since the incident with the Amazons, Bulma had been trying to understand the bond she had with Vegeta. In the weeks following the debacle, she had spoken to Chi Chi at great lengths about her experiences with Goku, and had come to accept her connection with her own Saiyan lover. From what Chi Chi could gather, Saiyans developed a bond with thier mates through alot of one-on-one contact, something she and Goku had quite a bit of in thier younger days. When feelings began to develop, the bond only grew stronger, and it was then that she took notice of it. They could sense each other's feelings, even hear each other's thoughts from time to time. After thier wedding, the bond grew even more encompassing, giving them a nearly unbreakable link at all times. Not even distance could break this bond, and they could even feel each other during Goku's time in outer space.  
  
Bulma's bond with Vegeta had grown by leaps and bounds since the Amazon incident, and she even figured out a way to control the ebb and flow of it, allowing her to create one way links to Vegeta. She never tried to pry into his depest thoughts, though. She figured that if he wanted to share those with her, he would, and he often did. But, at moments like this, she could sense what was going through his mind.  
  
She felt his slight admiration for the falling snow outside, and how it made him feel more at peace despite the holiday insanity around him. At one point, she could even hear what he was hearing, and listened herself to the chorus of tiny ice crystles landing softly on the ground. _Amazing_, she thought. _Sometimes, he never ceases to amaze me. He hates snow, and yet here he is, being lulled into a peaceful state of mind by it._  
  
Deep in her own mind, she knew that tonight would be like no other night she had ever spent with Vegeta. What she had planned for him was beyond anything he would ever expect, of that she was certain. Tonight, after everyone else went to sleep, she would take her love of the Saiyan Prince to a level that neither of them had ever been. Tonight, thier love would break new ground, and she was bound and determined to make it magical...  
  
  
By 11:30, everyone had found thier way to the spots where they would spend the night, and had fallen asleep. Everyone, that is, except for Bulma and Vegeta. Vegeta had gone to get a shower before he went to bed, and Bulma sat in her room, getting herself ready. The outfit she'd purchased the other day sat on the vanity before her, and she looked at it with a sense of hope. She wondered if it would make him happy, if she could make him happy. But in the end, she knew she would. If there was one thing Vegeta wanted more than anything in the universe, it was someone to make him happy. He'd gone his whole life without that, and now that he finally had it, she knew he wouldn't let go. Without delay, she began to change...  
  
  
Vegeta reached down and turned the water off. He felt strangely good, given the fact that he had just spent this evening with Bulma's friends. Something compelled him to smile as he reached for his towel and began to dry off. _Holiday sentiment. Worthless, but not at all harmful. You know, I could grow to like these silly Earth customs, especially if they mean I can pelt those weaklings with snowballs and not be reprimanded_. His smile grew to a chuckle for a moment as he recalled the day's events, especially the snowball fight. He had managed to get in a few choice shots at his rival during the melee, but not without taking a few hits himself. Overall, though, he felt it to be a small victory, one of the few times he'd managed to get the better of Goku.  
  
After brushing his teeth and throwing on his boxers, he turned off the bathroom light and made his way down the hall. Suddenly, he flet his bond with Bulma spring to life, and sensed her presence in his room. He tried to feel out what she was doing there, but she wasn't allowing him to sense it. _Woman, you're deffinately full of surprises. What is it you could have planned for me this time?_ He reached the door to his room and, with a smile on his face, opened the door.  
  
What he saw when he entered the room made his jaw drop. There, on his bed, was Bulma, wearing one of the more racy outfits he had seen the previous day at the mall. "Bulma..."  
  
"Hello, my Prince..." She looked up at him adoringly. Hopefully, this would be the greatest gift he would ever recieve. They'd been together for a while now, and still they hadn't come together like this. Tonight, though, she would give him his gift. She whould show him how deep her love truely went.  
  
Not another word was said for the moment. Once Vegeta made his way to bed, he and his mate were inseperable...  
  
  
New Years Eve. Outside, snow covered the landscape, except in the yard where a late evening snowball fight, this time initiated by Vegeta himself, had decimated the three foot high drifts and nearly left the dormant grass below totally exposed.  
  
Now the festivities had moved indoors. Everyone except Gohan was getting thier drink on, and a good time was being had by all.  
  
Except for one person.  
  
Bulma had kept to herself for the good majority of the day, and had resigned herself to a corner of the living room by this time of the night. She looked up at the clock. 11:45. In 15 short minutes, the new year would be upon them. Everyone else began to go back out to the yard to watch the city's fireworks display, but she stayed. _How do I do this? What do I say? How will he take it? Oh Kami help me._ Her mind raced with thoughts of how Vegeta would react to the news she had for him.  
  
11:56.  
  
Vegeta looked around and noticed that Bulma was not among his companions. "Where is that woman? Kakkarot, did Bulma come outside with the rest of us?"  
  
"Gee," his rival replied, "I don't know Vegeta. Go check inside, maybe she had to run to the bathroom or something."  
  
"Hrumph. Those fireworks had better wait until I get back out here." With that, he strode back accross the yard and reached down to open the door. After doing so, he stepped into the living room. "Bulma? Are you in here, woman? The fireworks are almost ready to start!"  
  
11:57.  
  
Vegeta checked the downstairs bathroom, but didn't find her there. He grew more and more annoyed as he searched the kitchen, living room, dining room, everywhere he could think of. No sign of her. She must be upstars, he thought, and took off flying to save time.  
  
11:59.  
  
He finally found her laying on her bed, crying. "Bulma, what's wrong?"  
  
She managed to stifel back the tears for a moment, collecting her wits and trying her best to be brave."Ve... Vegeta? There's... There's something I... h-have to tell you..."  
  
"What is it Bulma? Everyone's waiting for us in the yeard..."  
  
"Vegeta..."  
  
"Go ahead, Bulma-chan, I'm here..."  
  
It was the last two seconds of the old year. These two seconds seemet to go on forever for both of them as Bulma turned her tearing eyes to meet her lover's gaze...  
  
"I'm pregnant..."  
  
Midnight struck, and outside, the night sky was instanly lit up with brilliant lights of all colors, the silence broken by the exploding shells...


End file.
